Claims News Service, Dec. 19, 3:42 p.m. EST — More Americansthan ever are wearing their safety belts with usage rates climbingin 34 states this year, according to U.S. Transportation SecretaryNorman Y. Mineta. In 2005, safety belt use ranged from 60.8 percentin Mississippi to 95.3 percent in Hawaii. Others breaking the 90percent belt use barrier included Washington, Nevada, Arizona,Oregon, Michigan, California, Puerto Rico and Maryland. Mississippiregistered the lowest safety belt use in the nation followed byMassachusetts, Kentucky, Arkansas, South Dakota and Kansas. NewHampshire and Wyoming were the only states not to reportstatistically reliable estimates of belt use rate for 2005.Earlierthis year, Secretary Mineta announced that the nationwide surveyconducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA) showed belt use rates have hit the milestone of 82 percent— the highest level in the nation's history. Secretary Mineta alsoannounced earlier that fatalities had hit a historic low: 1.46deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT).At a rate of 82percent, NHTSA estimates that safety belts are preventing 15,700fatalities, 350,000 serious injuries, and $67 billion in economiccosts associated with traffic injuries and deaths every year.Thestate-by-state statistics were derived from data collected by thestates' own surveys, conducted in accord with criteria establishedby NHTSA.