Seat belt that required a particular technical approach would rapidly become dated as motor manufacturers would tool up for a particular standard which could not easily be changed. For example, in 1969 there were competing designs for lap and three-point seat belts, rapidly tilting seats, and airbags being developed. But as countries started to mandate seat belt restraints the global auto industry invested in the tooling and standardized exclusively on seat belts, and ignored other restraint designs such as air bags for several decades As of 2016, seat belt laws can be divided into two categories: primary and secondary. A primary seat
Seat belt use rates in the United States rate of 75%. The survey also found that seat belt use continued to be higher among females (86%) than males (79%). According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's 2013 survey, seat belt use in jurisdictions with stronger seatbelt enforcement laws continue to exhibit generally higher use rates than those with weaker laws. The following list shows the national percentage of vehicle occupants using seat belts between 1983 and 2017: The only years in which the rate did not increase over the previous year were 1994 when usage fell by eight percent, 1996 when usage fell by seven percent, 2006