NTSB Welcomes Seat Belt Bill in New Hampshire
NTSB Chairman Mark Rosenker thanked the New Hampshire House of Representatives for passing a bill to establish a primary enforcement seat belt law. "This is a good step forward," said Rosenker. "Legislation requiring vehicle occupants to use seat belts is the single greatest life-saving measure New Hampshire can enact. Simply put, seat belt laws get people to use their belts, and increased seat belt usage will mean fewer deaths on New Hampshire's highways. "I applaud the New Hampshire House for taking the initiative on this important safety issue, and would strongly urge that House Bill 802 become law."
NTSB says motor vehicle crashes are responsible for more deaths than crashes in all other transportation modes combined, with more than 90 percent of all transportation-related deaths caused by highway crashes. Seat belts reduce front-seat vehicle occupant deaths by 45 percent, says NTSB.
New Hampshire currently has no adult seat belt law and has the lowest belt use in the country.