Impacts of Minnesota's Primary Seat Belt Law
On behalf of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, CERS has conducted an analysis of Minnesota's primary seat belt law. The law, which went into effect in June 2009, allows law enforcement officials to stop and ticket a driver solely for not wearing a seat belt. The study found that there had been 68 fewer deaths, 320 fewer severe injury crashes, and 432 fewer moderate injury crashes since the law went into effect. This reduction in deaths and injuries has also saved $45 million in medical costs.
Study-related materials:
- Impacts of Minnesota's Primary Seat Belt Law (CERS research report, 2012) (426 KB PDF)
- Minnesota's Primary Seat Belt Law Saves Lives, Money (Department of Public Safety press release)
- Minnesota's new seat belt law saves lives (Humphrey School feature)
- CERS Study Shows Fewer Deaths, Fewer Tax Dollars Spent Since Minnesota Primary Seat Belt Law Passed (Humphrey School Regionalities blog)
Selected media coverage about the study:
- Minnesota primary seat belt law saves lives and money — GHSA Directions in Highway Safety, Summer 2012
- Seat belt law: 68 fewer die on road since '09, University of Minnesota study says — Pioneer Press, March 26, 2012
- Minnesota's stronger seat belt law equals fewer dead — Minneapolis Star Tribune, March 26, 2012
- U study: Minn. primary seat belt law helped reduce traffic deaths — Minnesota Public Radio, March 26, 2012
- Study: Minn. Seat Belt Law Is Saving Lives — WCCO-TV, March 26, 2012
- Study: Seatbelts Save Lives in Minnesota — KSTP-TV, March 26, 2012
- Study: Primary seat belt law reduces traffic deaths in Minn. — KARE 11, March 26, 2012
- Minnesota Seat Belt Law Results in Fewer Deaths and Severe Injuries — Shakopee Patch, March 26, 2012
- Report: Minnesota's primary seat belt law saved 68 lives — Post-Bulletin, March 27, 2012
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