Safety-belt and helmet use among high school students - United States: 1990

Only 24.3% of students in grades nine through 12 stated they always used passenger safety belts. Stated use was the same as observed use. There was no difference in sex, race, ethnicity or grade. Health objectives for the year 2000 include increasing the use of seat belts, air bags and child car seats to 85%. To reach this level, use by high school students must increase 3.5 times current rates. Teenagers have the lowest safety-belt use rate of any age group. Of those students who rode motorcycles, 57.9% always wore their helmets. Only 2.3% of bicycle riders always wore their helmets. Bicycle helmet use did not vary by sex, race, ethnicity or grade but motorcycle and bicycle use did vary. Males were more likely than females to ride motorcycles and bicycles. White males were most likely to ride motorcycles and to wear their helmets.