Cuomo Announces Record Setting Seat Belt Usage In New York

A record 92% of New Yorkers are buckling up and regularly using their seat belts.

Governor Andrew  Cuomo's office says it's the sixth consecutive year that seat belt use in New York state has stayed at or above 90%.  That's according to the New York State Seat Belt Observation Survey, conducted each year by the University at Albany Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research.

Nationally, seat belt use averaged 87% in 2014.

New York was the first state to enact seat belt laws in 1984.  Failure to wear a seat belt carries a fine of up to $50.

“New York led the way with this nation’s first seat belt law and these new numbers are a testament to this state’s ongoing efforts to get New Yorkers to buckle up and save lives,” Governor Cuomo said. “We will continue this proud legacy and do all we can to ensure that our roads stay safe and avoidable tragedies are stopped in their tracks.”