2024 MSU Seat Belt Usage Survey

Each year, Michigan State University (MSU) works with the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning to determine what the state’s seat belt and handheld mobile device (phones, tablets, cameras, handheld gaming devices, etc.) use figures are in passenger motor vehicles on Michigan roadways. 

Summary 
Two surveys are done each year:
     1) MSU conducts a survey in compliance with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) survey requirements at 200 sites across Michigan in the months of May and June. This is referred to as the NHTSA 200-Site Seat Belt and Handheld Mobile Device Use Survey.
      2) MSU conducts a second, supplemental survey of the 48 counties not included in the NHTSA 200-Site Survey to provide a more complete view of Michigan’s total seat belt use in the months of May, June, and July.

The NHTSA 200-Site Seat Belt and Handheld Mobile Device Use Survey:

• The official 200-site survey requires NHTSA’s approval of all selected survey locations every five years.
• The survey itself occurs annually, and results are reviewed by NHTSA. 
• Among the top 38 counties with the most crashes, 35 counties are selected to represent Michigan’s seat belt use rates.
• Takes place in the weeks directly after the Click-It or Ticket enforcement period in Michigan in the months of May and June.
• Occurs each day of the week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with sites being observed in 60-minute intervals.

NHTSA 200-site Seat Belt Use Rate Map By County

NHTSA 200-site Seat Belt Use Rate Chart By County

The Michigan 83-county Supplemental Survey:

• Takes place in the 48 counties not included in the NHTSA statewide survey.
• Collects the same observational information as the NHTSA survey.
• Many counties only have a single survey location because they do not contain other qualifying survey site locations. 
• Provides a three-year average seat belt use rate for each of the counties, as the sample size can vary greatly between years.
• Survey work takes place on weekdays and starts before the Click-It or Ticket period to avoid tourist traffic in the survey locations.
  
  Michigan 83-County Seat Belt Use Rate Map
  

Michigan 83-County Seat Belt Use Rate Chart

Both surveys must:

• Take place on thru-traffic lanes located at an intersection with a stop light or stop sign to slow traffic.
• Randomly sample cars driving past, excluding heavy trucks, buses, or other vehicles weighing over 10,000 pounds.
• Report their official seat belt use rate as a weighted average, which means the road length, sample size, population size, and other factors, are taken into account when trying to determine the usage rate for an entire population based on the observations made. 

Michigan 2024 survey results:

• The NHTSA 200-Site Seat Belt and Handheld Mobile Device Use Survey showed that seat belts were used 92.0 percent of the time in 2024.
• The Michigan 83-County Supplemental Survey showed seat belts were used 92.0 percent of the time in 2024.
• The NHTSA 200-Site Seat Belt and Handheld Mobile Device Use Survey showed mobile devices were used by drivers 5.5 percent of the time in 2024.