TRAFFIC SAFETY FACTS
Crash • Stats

DOT HS 812 683

A Brief Statistical Summary

March 2019

Lives Saved in 2017 by Restraint Use andMinimum-Drinking-Age LawsFindings

In 2017, the use of seat belts in passenger vehicles saved an
estimated 14,955 lives of occupants 5 and older. An estimated2,790 lives of occupants 13 and older were saved by frontal
air bags. An estimated 325 child occupants 4 and younger
were saved by the use of child restraints, and 1,872 lives weresaved by the use of motorcycle helmets. An additional 2,549
lives could have been saved in 2017 if all unrestrained passenger vehicle occupants 5 and older involved in fatal crashes
had worn their seat belts. Similarly, if all motorcyclists had
been helmeted, then an additional 749 lives could have beensaved. An estimated 538 lives were saved due to minimumdrinking-age laws.

Introduction

Since 1975, NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis has been producing annual estimates of lives saved.
Table 1 presents estimates of lives saved in 2017 by restraint
use and as a result of minimum-drinking-age laws. The esti-mates are calculated using the effectiveness of each device
or law. More information on the methodology of lives-saved
estimates is available in two NHTSA publications, Lives
Saved FAQs (NCSA, 2009), that answers 30 common questions about lives saved and includes references to manyother reports on lives saved; and Lives Saved Calculations for
Seat Belts and Frontal Air Bags (Glassbrenner & Starnes, 2009),
that describes in detail the methodology of estimating lives
saved by seat belts and frontal air bags.

Results

Table 1 shows that the estimated number of lives saved by seatbelt use among occupants 5 and older increased from 14,753
in 2016 to 14,955 in 2017. The estimated number of lives saved
by frontal air bags among occupants 13 and older increased
from 2,774 in 2016 to 2,790 in 2017. The estimated number oflives saved by child restraints among children 4 and younger,
by the use of motorcycle helmets, and by the minimumdrinking-age laws all decreased from 2016 to 2017 (Table 1).

Table 1: Lives Saved by Restraint Use, 21-Year-Old Minimum-Drinking-Age Laws, and Additional Lives That Could Have
Been Saved at 100-Percent Seat Belt and Motorcycle Helmet Use, 2013–2017
Lives Saved,
Age 4 and Younger

Lives Saved,
Age 5 and Older

Lives Saved,
Age 13 and Older

Lives Saved,
All Ages

LivesSaved

Year

ChildRestraints

Seat Belts

Frontal Air Bags

Motorcycle
Helmets

MinimumDrinking-Age Law

Additional Lives That Could Have
Been Saved at 100-Percent Use
Seat Belts

Motorcycle
Helmets

2013

263

12,644

2,398

1,640

507

2,771

717

2014

253

12,801

2,400

1,673

486

2,877661

2015

273

14,062

2,597

1,800

542

2,715742

2016

334

14,753

2,774

1,885

556

2,471805

2017

325

14,955

2,790

1,872

538

2,549

749

Source: 2012–2016 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) Final Files and FARS 2017 Annual Report Files.

Table 2 shows the estimated total number of lives saved in2017 for all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and PuertoRico. In this table, the second column from the far left contains estimates of lives saved by child restraints. The next
three columns contain estimates of lives saved by seat belts,lives saved by frontal air bags, and lives saved by motorcycle

helmets, respectively. The numbers in the two far right columns represent the additional lives savable with 100-percent
seat belt use and 100-percent helmet use, respectively. Dueto rounding, the sum of the State totals may not equal thenational total.

Published by NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis		

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590

2

Table 2: Lives Saved in 2017 by Child Restraints, Seat Belts, Frontal Air Bags, and Motorcycle Helmets

StateAlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
DelawareDistrict of Columbia
FloridaGeorgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
KansasKentuckyLouisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
MichiganMinnesota
Mississippi
MissouriMontana
Nebraska
NevadaNew Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
OregonPennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
WyomingNational*
Puerto Rico

Lives Saved byChild Restraints,
Age 4 and Younger
10147223020816111411311413
320
114
7
922300411160
144850
3211501055443325
1

Lives Saved bySeat Belts,
Age 5 and Older
337
35281
214
1,488
226
112
41
8
1,099
648
33
94
483
436
142
203
329
278
68
209
61
510
192
283
309
71
72
78
23241
154
396
633
44456
234
255
355
25
387
39463
1725
96
28323
283
128
289
40
14,955
67

Lives Saved by
Frontal Air Bags,
Age 13 and Older
87
556
41218
4920
92200
125
52186
73
26406759
1437
2978
2867811621171040
25
62110
9104
50
30
94
579
1185
275
20
668
39
2654
112,79017Additional Lives Savable atLives Saved by100-Percent Restraint Use
Motorcycle Helmets,All Ages
Seat Belts Motorcycle Helmets
4350
226
1
42
69
34
18
72
13
287
89
161870
27
13
17
13
4
62
2
10
174
181
110
72
34
662
5636
630
50
42
25
49
40
8
21
13
1367
13
1880
22
48
64
55146
43
27
529
45
0
46
47
27
102315
19111
360
103
8533
516
230
27
143419347
23192214804149790
42183271384214602632
12158993445226533842247491
3142
22794
821108706888047
22092441951
172
135
1,872
2,549
749
8156

*Estimates for States may not add up to National total due to independent rounding.
These figures and recent trends can also be found on the State Traffic Safety Information website at www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/departments/nrd-30/ncsa/STSI/USA%20WEB%20REPORT.HTM
Published by NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis		

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590

3For More Information

For questions regarding the information presented in thisdocument, please contact NCSAWEB@dot.gov.

References

Glassbrenner, D., & Starnes, M. (2009, December). Lives
saved calculations for seat belts and frontal air bags (ReportNo. DOT HS 811 206). Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Available at www-nrd.
nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811206.pdf.
National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (2009,December). Lives saved FAQs (Report No. DOT HS 811105). Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration. Available at www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811105.pdf.

Suggested APA Citation for This Document:
National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (2019, March).
Lives saved in 2017 by restraint use and minimum-­drinking-age
laws (Traffic Safety Facts Crash•Stats. Report No. DOT HS
812 683). Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration.

For questions regarding the information presented in thisdocument, please contact NCSARequests@dot.gov. ThisCrash•Stats and general information on highway traffic
safety can be found at www.nhtsa.gov/research-data. To
report a safety-related problem or to inquire about motorvehicle safety information, contact the Vehicle Safety­Hotline at 888-327-4236.
Published by NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis		

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590
14158-031919-v2a