Seat belt tileA recent survey shows a decrease in seat belt use in Tennessee.
The Governor's Highway Safety Office and the Tennessee Highway Patrol announced this week that the statewide rate for the month of June is 86.2 percent, a decrease from the previous usage rage of 87.7 percent.
The survey is performed by the University of Tennessee Center for Transportation Research and is mandated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
GHSO Director Kendell Poole says the public will begin to see an even greater combined effort of education and enforcement to raise the number back up.
Earlier this year, Gov. Bill Haslam signed a bill that will raise Tennessee's seat belt fine beginning in January. The fine will increase from $10 to $25 for first offenders and from $25 to $50 for subsequent offenses.