Baltimore, MD — The Maryland Department of Transportation has a message for teenagers, “Seat Belts Look Good on You.”
As part of a new initiative to encourage teens to buckle up, drivers ages 16 to 19 who take and pass the road skills test on the third Friday of the month during the school year will receive a free “seat belt” necktie or scarf.
The promotional items will be available at full service MDOT MVA branches while supplies last, beginning September 20. The road skills test is part of the driver’s licensing process.
A new survey shows that in 2019, seat belt usage increased slightly in Maryland, from 90.3 percent in 2018 to 90.4 percent this year.
“While we’re glad to see a slight improvement from last year, the only acceptable number for seat belts usage is 100 percent,” said MDOT Secretary Pete K. Rahn.
In 2018, 105 people were killed in crashes on Maryland’s roads while not wearing a seat belt. National data shows that seat belt usage tends to be lower among teen drivers. Car crashes are the most common cause of death for people aged 5 to 24.
In Maryland, every driver and passenger must wear a seat belt. Children under age 8 must be in a proper booster or child safety seat. Each occupant of a vehicle not wearing a safety belt is subject to an $83 citation.