Seatbelt Use Up in Louisiana

Seatbelt use among Louisiana motorists is up this year.

The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission says an annual survey to determine how many people buckle up showed the percentage had risen to 82.5 percent of drivers and front-seat passengers following the law.

That’s up from 79.3 percent a year earlier, but below the national average of 86 percent.

Lt. Col. John LeBlanc, executive director of the safety commission, says the nationwide enforcement campaign called “Click It or Ticket” has helped boost compliance rates.

The survey was based on observations at 336 locations around Louisiana.

The lowest rate of seatbelt use was in pickup trucks, and people buckled up more often on interstates than on state and local roads, according to the survey. Rear-seat passengers also used seatbelts in far fewer numbers.