Health Care Costs of Unbuckled Vehicle Occupants in Idaho

During the Highway Safety Summit on April 11, Max Sevareid, Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, presented recent research on Idaho?s health care costs for unbelted motor vehicle occupants. This report is based on Idaho data and the design of the study is consistent with other studies for other states. The PowerPoint presentation, video clips, and handout are available here. We believe this information will be helpful to you if you make presentations before groups.

Some of the high points of his presentation are:

• Seat belts reduce risk of death by 61%- 73%.
• Seat belts reduce risk of serious injury by 50%.
• In all states studied, unrestrained crash occupants have significantly higher medical costs than unrestrained occupants.
• The Idaho study compared medical costs of restrained and unrestrained motor vehicle crash occupants, determined who paid the bill, and estimated the cost savings with increased enforcement of seat belt law.
• Lack of seat belt use resulted in 971 preventable hospital admissions, and 11,800 preventable emergency department visits annually.
• Total preventable motor vehicle crash annual health care costs paid by Idaho state budgets = $9,141,252.
• If unbelted drivers paid a fine consistent with the state budget used for annual health care costs, their fine would be $340.