Ohioan are buckling up more, NHTSA says

COLUMBUS — The number of Ohioans wearing seat belts rose slightly in 2010, according to a new survey by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

About 83.8 percent of Ohioans wore seat belts in 2010, up 0.2 percent from 2009. That number is higher than the 74.7 percent of Ohioans who wore them in 2003.

Ohio lags behind the 85-percent national average, which was calculated by the National Occupant Protection Use Survey.

Washington and Hawaii (97.6 percent) and Oregon (97 percent) led the nation. New Hampshire (72.2 percent) was the worst state for seat-belt use.