You asked when Connecticut’s seat belt law was enacted and if there have been any recent changes. You also asked for statistics about how seat belt use affects safety.

Connecticut first enacted a law related to seat belts in 1961 (CGS §14-100a), requiring new cars to be equipped with “anchorage units. ” In 1963, this was changed so that new cars had to come equipped with seat belts. Wearing seat belts was first made mandatory in 1985, with the passage of PA 85-429 (CGS §14-100a (c)(1)). It requires anyone in the front seat of a motor vehicle that was originally equipped with seat belts to wear them when the vehicle is being operated. It also requires that the driver ensure children between the ages of four and 16 years old wear a seat belt no matter where they sit in the car.

In 1993, PA 93-10 amended the law by removing the exemption from the requirement that passengers in the front seat wear seat belts if their car is equipped with front airbags. In 1994, PA 94-52 added a requirement that all children between the ages of four and 16 must wear a seat belt, regardless of where they sit in the car.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), seat belts are the most effective means of reducing fatalities and serious injuries when traffic crashes occur. NHTSA estimates seat belts save 9,500 lives in America each year. The agency’s research has found that lap/shoulder belts, when used properly, reduce the risk of fatal injury to front seat passenger car occupants by 45 percent and the risk of moderate-to-critical injury by 50 percent; for light truck occupants, seat belts reduce the risk of fatal injury by 60 percent and moderate-to-critical injury by 65 percent.

RO: ts