American Indians buckle up at rates far lower than the national average, according to federal statistics released on Thursday.

In the first study of its kind, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Bureau of Indian Affairs took a look at seat belt use on 16 reservations in the lower 48 states. What they found were significant differences in the number of tribal members who buckle up.

On one reservation, only 8.8 percent of people were observed wearing seat belts. On another, 84.8 percent buckled up. The average was 55.4 percent, far below the national average of around 80 percent.

The disparity was directly attributed to tribal self-governance. The study found that people who lived on reservations where the tribe has a strong seat belt law were more likely to buckle up.

"Safety belts are one of the most effective and valuable safety devices available in cars today", said Jacqueline Glassman, the deputy administrator of the NHTSA. "We must find a way to help Native American leaders bridge large gaps in safety belt use and, ultimately, save lives."

According to the study, nine of the 16 reservations were subject to primary seat belt laws, which allow tribal officers to issue citations for not buckling up. The average seat belt use rate on these reservations was 68.6 percent.

Three reservations were subject to secondary seat belt laws, which only allow for citations when another traffic violation has been committed. On these reservations, the average seat belt use rate fell to 53.2 percent.

The remaining four reservations in the study had no seat belt laws of any kind. The average buckle up rate was 26.4 percent.

"Overall, safety belt use in tribal reservations subject to tribal law and tribal traffic law enforcement varies greatly," the NHTSA said in a fact sheet. "The recorded figures ranged from less than 10 percent to almost 85 percent, a difference so large as to make it unmistakable that different reservations are fundamentally different in their approach to and success at encouraging safety belt use."

Regional differences were also noted by the two agencies. The Northern Plains area had the five lowest belt use rates, averaging just 27.6 percent. The Great Lakes and Northwest had the highest belt rates. Five reservations in the Southwest had moderate to high usage.

The use of seat belts can be correlated to accident rates. Reservations in the Northern Plains have the highest motor vehicle death rates, according to Indian Health Service statistics. Overall, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that Native Americans die on highways at rates 1.7 to 2.0 times the national average.

Other factors that contribute to high accident and death rates include the poor condition of roads in Indian Country. Of the 55,000 miles of highways that run through tribal lands, more than half are unpaved, according to federal statistics. Of the nearly 750 bridges, about a quarter are deficient.

According to the study, only 177 out of the more than 500 tribes have seat belt use laws. The Southwest region is home to largest number of tribes with seat belt laws, covering an Indian population of about 322,000.

The Navajo Nation, the largest tribe and reservation in the country, was excluded from the study because the tribe wouldn't allow observation of drivers. The Navajo area has one of the highest motor vehicle death rates, according to IHS. Another unnamed tribe also objected.

Relevant Documents:
Press Release: NHTSA Studies Safety Belt Use Rates On Native American Reservations To Reduce Deaths | Fact Sheet: Safety Belt Use Estimate for Native American “Tribal Reservations” Subject to Tribal Law and Tribal Traffic Enforcement