Deaths caused by seat belts. Over 374,000 lives are estimated to have been saved by seat belts from 1975 to. Understand the potentially fatal consequences of not wearing a seat belt and learn what you can do to make sure you and your family are properly buckled up every time. Seat belt use in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 14,955 lives in 2017. There are some people — like children, very small adults and pregnant women — who do need to take special precautions to make sure they're using a seatbelt safely; but, for most people, it's as simple as hopping in the car, buckling up and hitting the road. Seat belts reduce serious crash-related injuries and deaths by about half. Jan 31, 2025 · Wearing a seat belt is the most effective way to prevent injury or death in crashes for adults and older children. 9%, and unrestrained occupant deaths currently account for 49. 7% of front seat passengers were observed using seat belts, and 60. 2% of deaths. Jan 31, 2023 · Every year, 15,000 lives are saved by wearing a seat belt.