1. Topics To Be Covered The Seat Belt Connection Past Motor Vehicle Injury Prevention Efforts Costs Mary Hunter Idaho Transportation Department Office of Highway Safety

2. Idaho Transportation Department, Office of Highway Safety  Department goal - reduce traffic-related collisions and fatalities  OHS addresses behavioral issues  Grant funds provided to state, county, and local government to conduct education and enforcement programs.

3. The Seat Belt Connection 813 traffic crash victims killed 1999 through 2001. 484 received a serious head injury contributing to death. Serious head injury contributed to 60% of motor vehicle fatalities.

4. Occupant Protection System Effectiveness OP SystemPreventing Fatalities Air bag alone14% Manual lap-shoulder belt45% Air bag & lap-shoulder belt51%

5. Effectiveness of OP Systems for Head Injuries Moderate InjuryReduction Air bag/seat belt85% Air bag alone57% Seat belt alone70% Serious Injury Air bag/seat belt85% Air bag alone43% (not significant) Seat belt alone60%

6. Air Bags & Head Injuries Air bag plus lap-shoulder belt combination is 85% effective at reducing both moderate and serious head injuries. One second for air bag to deploy & deflate. Most adult occupants seriously or fatally injured by air bags are unbelted.

7. Idaho Stats YearUsage RateOccupant Fatalities Serious Injuries 199958%2421,561 200059%2281,464 200160%2151,372 200263%231Not available

8. Usage Rates The national seat belt use rate for 2002 was 75% while Idaho’s rate was 63%. Primary law states average 80% usage while secondary law states average 69%. 70% of 215 motor vehicle occupant fatalities were not properly restrained. 51% of 1,362 seriously injured motor vehicle occupants were not properly restrained.

9. Idaho Fatalities 1999-2001 by Age Occupants 0-3 accounted for 2% of fatalities. Occupants 4-17 account for 15% of fatalities. Occupants 18 and older account for 83% of fatalities.

10. Efforts to Increase Seat Belt Usage Office of Highway Safety utilized $2.8 million in last 3 years to education and enforcement campaign. Injury Prevention Programs utilized $700,000 toward effort. Countless other partners.

11. Education

14. Child Passenger Safety

15. Training

17. Enforcement

18. Comprehensive Costs of Crashes Fatality$3,026,107 Serious Injury $209,500 Visible Injury $41,900 Possible Injury $22,114 Property Damage Only $2,328 (FHWA)

19. Idaho’s Costs Idaho’s motor vehicle collisions in 2001 cost $1.5 billion. Individuals involved in crashes pay 26% of the costs. The remaining 74% is paid by the public ($862 per Idahoan).

20. Who Pays? Costs are paid through: - taxes (9%) - insurers (50%) - others including employers (15%) - self (26%)

21. Medical Costs 14% of comprehensive costs are medical costs. Medical costs are paid through: – taxes (24%) – insurers (55%) – other (6%) – self (15%)

22. Catastrophic Health Care Costs County Medical Indigent Fund (first $10,000) State Catastrophic Health Care Fund (balance of costs) = $1.8 Million for 84 people in FY 2001 = $2.5 million for 99 people in FY 2002

23. Conclusion 5 Idahoans killed or seriously injured every day in traffic crashes. 60% of traffic fatalities involve a serious head injury as an immediate/contributing factor for death. Air bag & lap-shoulder belt combination is 85% effective at reducing moderate/serious head injuries in crashes.