|
|
The goal of the Minnesota Seat Belt Coalition is to increase seat belt use in our state through education and legislation. Our members are individuals and organizations - companies, associations, health care providers, law enforcement agencies, auto dealers, parents and more. A list of organizational members is on our Web site.
The members of the Minnesota Seat Belt Coalition strongly urge passage of a primary enforcement seat belt law. It's good public policy - to save lives, injuries and significant dollars.
Traffic crashes are the leading cause of injury death for Minnesotans and the leading cause of death overall from age 1 to age 34. Traffic crashes are also the leading cause of work-related death.
Each year, the majority of people killed in crashes are not buckled up.
Passing primary seat belt legislation - which entails no cost for the state or the public - is the quickest, cheapest way to increase seat belt use, especially since we're at 83 percent compliance. To gain another five percentage points from increased enforcement and educational campaigns would cost more than $1 million over and above the millions we spend now to maintain that rate.
Re CODES Data
- CODES stands for Crash Outcomes Data Evaluation System. This CODES project is a collaborative effort of the Minnesota Departments of Health, Public Safety and Transportation, in partnership with the Minnesota Hospital Association and the Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board. Results reported below are from the 2005 CODES study.
- The study measured hospital medical care charges associated with unbuckled vehicle occupants. It looked at the cost impact on government payer - that would be taxpayer funded-sources; and estimated the likely impact on those costs of raising seat belt use by 10 percentage points - from 84% (Minnesota's seat belt use rate in 2005) to 94%.
- The study looked at data for 2002, and found that on average, hospital costs for unrestrained vehicle-crash victims in Minnesota were nearly double (94% greater) those of injured people who were wearing seat belts. Government payer sources including
- The study concludes that by increasing seat belt use to 94%, we would see a cumulative health care cost savings over ten years of $189.7 million. We're talking real money here - these are not small numbers.
- Looking at government payer sources, Medicaid savings in the first year alone would be $3.4 million. The cumulative savings by 2015 would be $70.9 million in Medicaid alone.
- It is important to note that these are very conservative numbers. The estimates are for hospital inpatient and emergency room charges only. They don't include fees paid to physicians and specialists. They don't include clinic visits and follow-up care.
- The CODES study makes clear the fact that crash victims who decide not to buckle up cost every one of us big dollars. The study makes clear that if we can increase belt use in Minnesota by just ten percentage points - from 84% to 94% - we can save millions of dollars. Those are savings to our government and to you and me as taxpayers. 25 states have figured out that enacting primary seat belt laws results in increased seat belt use - an average of 11% according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This is a significant public policy issue.
- Belt use has no downside - it saves lives and it saves money (both for individuals and society).
- The economic impact of the 1,300 unbelted people who died on Minnesota's roads from 2000-2004 is estimated at $1.4 billion. The
- Minnesota's seat belt use rate is reported at 83 percent as of 2006. Based on what's happened in other states, the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety estimates that use would rise to 93 percent if the seat belt law were upgraded to primary enforcement. The total direct medical cost savings to the taxpayer-funded Medicaid program for hospitalizations in 2007 alone would be $3.4 million. In addition, Minnesota will gain more than $15 million in federal incentive funds for upgrading to a primary enforcement law in 2007.
- Minnesotans want a primary seat belt law. A study conducted by Corona Research in September, 2005, showed that seventy-one percent of Minnesotans support primary seat belt legislation. Primary seat belt legislation has no downside - it costs the state nothing, it brings federal incentive funds to our state, it saves lives and Minnesotans want it.
Conclusion
- The results of the CODES study make it clear that people who do not buckle their seat belts cost us all - our government and each of us as taxpayers - significant dollars.
- The study also makes it clear that increasing seat belt use can save us - our government and each of us as taxpayers - significant dollars.
- Results in states which have enacted primary seat belt laws clearly shows that we can expect to see seat belt use rise by about 10% if we enact a primary seat belt law.
- Taking that action will cost the state not one cent - and will deliver $15 million in federal incentive funds to our state simply by upgrading our seat belt law to primary enforcement.
Contact the Minnesota Seat Belt Coalition by calling 651-228-7304 or 1-800-444-9150 x 304 or by e-mail at
msc@minnesotasafetycouncil.org.
|
|
