BUCKLE UP!

ROAD TO SAFER TRIBAL COMMUNITIES

Every person, every seat, 

every time.

THE FACTS

Motor vehicle crashes 

are a leading cause 

of death for American 

Indian and Alaska 

Native people.1

Seat belt use in Indian 

Country (78%)2

 is lower 

than that of the U.S. 

overall (92%).3

Almost 2 in 3 vehicle 

occupants who died in 

crashes on reservations 

were not restrained 

by a seat belt, car seat, 

or booster seat at the 

time of the crash.4

KEEP YOURSELF AND YOUR 

LOVED ONES SAFE:

Buckle up the right way.

Place the lap belt across the 

hips, below the stomach.

Place the shoulder belt 

across the middle of the 

chest and over the shoulder.

Never put the shoulder belt 

behind your back or under 

your arm.

Always wear a seat belt even 

when the car or truck has air 

bags.

Wear a seat belt every time you ride in a car, no matter where you sit.

Use seat belt extenders if the seat belt is too small for you. You can 

buy these from car dealers and manufacturers.

Never ride in the bed of a truck.

Never use one seat belt to buckle more than one person at a time.
Seat belts reduce the risk of getting hurt

or killed in a car crash by about half.5

Wear seat belts throughout pregnancy. 

Place the lap portion of the belt under the belly, across the hips, and high 

on the thighs.

 Place the shoulder belt over the shoulder and across the chest.

Never place straps directly across the stomach.

Make sure children are always buckled in an age- and size-appropriate car seat or 

booster seat until a seat belt fits properly.

Seat belts fit properly when the lap belt lays across the upper thighs (not 

the stomach) and the shoulder belt lays across the chest (not the neck). This 

usually occurs between ages 9–12.

LEARN MORE AT

www.cdc.gov/transportationsafety/seatbelts

or call 1-800-CDC-INFO

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control and 

the Indian Health Service’s Injury Prevention Program 

work in partnership with American Indian and Alaska 

Native communities to implement proven programs.

LOCAL INFORMATION

References

1. WISQARS, Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System [online]. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention (producer). Available at https://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars. Accessed August 30, 2023.

2. Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Highway Safety Program. FY 2022 Annual Report. Albuquerque, NM: U.S. Department of the Interior, BIA, Office of Justice 

Services; 2023. Available at https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/2023-05/BIA_FY2022HSPAR-v2%20tag.pdf. Accessed August 30, 2023.

3. Boyle, L. Seat belt use in 2022 – Overall results (Traffic Safety Facts Research Note. Report No. DOT HS 813 407). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of 

Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Center for Statistics and Analysis; 2023. Available at 

https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813407. Accessed August 30, 2023.

4. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Native American Traffic Safety Facts FARS 2016–2020. Washington, DC: U.S. DOT, NHTSA, NCSA. Available 

at https://cdan.dot.gov/NA_report/NA_Report.htm. Accessed August 30, 2023.

5. Kahane CJ. Fatality reduction by safety belts for front-seat occupants of cars and light trucks: Updated and expanded estimates based on 1986-99 FARS 

data (Report No. DOT-HS-809-199). Washington, DC: U.S. DOT, NHTSA; 2000. Available at 

https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/809199. Accessed August 30, 2023.

November 2023