Sharp decline on seat belts

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South Carolina saw a dramatic decrease in the number of people wearing seat belts this year — the worst decline in the nation. The 2004 seat-belt usage rate in South Carolina was 65.7 percent, down a hefty 9 percent from last year's figure, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

South Carolina was one of only four states in the nation with a belt use rate at 65 percent or lower. Evidence suggests the fall in belt use has everything to do with the state's weak seat-belt law. That, in turn, contributes to our state having one of the nation's highest rates of fatalities on the road.

The decline in seat-belt use here comes at a time when belt use is increasing nationwide — rising in 37 states this year. The national belt use rate was at an all-time high of 80 percent.

One thing is certain: The states with tougher seat belt laws have some of the highest belt-use rates. Five states — California, Hawaii, Michigan, Oregon and Washington — with use rates over 90 percent have primary seat belt laws, which allows police to stop a motorist for not wearing a seat belt. Puerto Rico, which had a use rate of 90.1 percent, also has a primary belt law.

South Carolina, tellingly, has only a secondary seat belt law, which allows police to issue a seat belt ticket only to a driver stopped for another violation.

Some state lawmakers have supported a primary seat belt law for South Carolina, but the most recent proposal was killed earlier this year in a pitiful failure of leadership by state senators.

Most of the blame goes to Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell who led a misguided filibuster against the primary seat belt law. Gov. Sanford, meanwhile, never pushed the bill and in fact publicly expressed a "bias" against it, according to his spokesman.

Research has shown, time and again, that seat belts save lives. Likewise, motorists are more likely to die in a crash if they're not wearing seat belts. As of Nov. 23, 894 people were killed on South Carolina roads in 2004, and 531 were not wearing seat belts. About 70 percent of the 1,000 people who die on South Carolina roads every year were not wearing seat belts.

The lack of a primary seat belt law contributes to South Carolina's high fatality rate and endangers our families. State lawmakers shouldn't fail to approve a primary seat belt law next year.