A survey conducted by DLN Consulting Inc. of Dickinson in June found that 61.1 percent of Williams County residents used their seatbelts, compared to 65.6 percent last year, a decrease of 4.5 percent.
Although the decrease is a small percentage, it's still discouraging, said Cpt. Alan Billenhus of the North Dakota Highway Patrol.
"It's sad to see that (figure) go down, because seat belts save lives. We'd like to see Williams County move closer to the state average," Billenhus said.
The annual seat belt use state survey showed 81.6 percent of state residents are buckling up, a slightly lower amount than 2007, when the number was 82.2 percent. Williams County's eastern neighbor, Mountrail County, faired better in the survey with 71.6 percent using seat belts, a significant increase of 13.9 percent from last year. Billenhus is pleased with Mountrail County's results.
"We've seen an increase in traffic due to the oil exploration, so it's encouraging to see more people are buckling up in that area," he said.
Figures weren't available for Divide, Burke and McKenzie counties because they weren't among the 16 counties surveyed.
The survey was done at multiple sites on state, federal and interstate highways throughout the 16 counties. Observers looked for drivers and front-seat passengers wearing shoulder harnesses in automobiles, vans, pickups and sport-utility vehicles.
The overall survey results for the state please Linda Butts, deputy director of driver and vehicle services for the North Dakota Department of Transportation.
"The majority of North Dakota drivers have embraced the fact that seat belts save lives," she stated in a news release.
However, it's obvious not everyone is buckling up. Those who don't use their seat belts typically fall into two groups -- "occasional seat belt users" and "hardcore non-seat belt users," Butts said.
People who occasionally wear their seat belts do so if they feel they'd be safer on roads with higher speed limits. The same people may decide if they're just going on a short trip, there's no need for seat belts, Butts said.
The hardcore non-seat belt users range from people claiming the devices make them uncomfortable, to those who believe seat belts are intrusions on their personal rights, Butts said.
Seat belts should always be worn, she said, even if the driver's only going to travel a few blocks away.
"You never know when you'll have a crash," Billenhus said, adding the fear of being ticketed for not wearing a seat belt shouldn't be the only concern for drivers. "It's not about not getting a ticket, it's about saving lives," he said.
The NDDOT wants the public to know the role seat belts play in saving lives. Seat belts secure the occupant so his/her body doesn't continue to move within the vehicle after the car has stopped, the new release stated. The seat belt spreads the impact over the larger, stronger parts of the body such like the pelvis and shoulders, rather than the weaker, upper midsection of the body.
In every crash, there are three potential points of impact, the release added. The first is the force of the vehicle hitting another object. Second, the occupant's body hits the interior of the vehicle. Finally, within the occupant's body, organs slam against the skeleton.
In an effort to educate the public about the importance of seat belt usage, law enforcement personnel nationwide are visiting schools during the week of Sept. 21, which is Child Passenger Safety Week. North Dakota Highway Patrol employees are to be in schools as well to talk with the students, Billenhus said. Perhaps children will encourage their parents to buckle up as well, he said.
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