2023 BRFSS Survey Results: North Carolina

Seatbelt Use and Drinking and Driving

How often do you use seat belts when you drive or ride in a car?
Would you say-?

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  Total
Respond.^		 Always Nearly Always/Sometimes Seldom/Never
N % C.I.(95%) N % C.I.(95%) N % C.I.(95%)
TOTAL 3,906 3,640 91.7 90.1-93.0 193 6.2 5.1- 7.6 73 2.1 1.5- 3.0
GENDER
Male 1,715 1,557 88.2 85.4-90.5 108 8.4 6.4-11.0 50 3.4 2.3- 5.0
Female 2,191 2,083 94.8 93.2-96.1 85 4.2 3.1- 5.7 23 0.9 0.5- 1.9
RACE/ETHNICITY
Non-Hispanic White 2,350 2,209 92.0 90.1-93.6 104 5.9 4.5- 7.6 37 2.1 1.4- 3.2
Non-Hispanic Black 668 617 89.6 84.9-92.9 39 8.9 5.8-13.6 12 1.5 0.7- 3.1
Non-Hispanic Am Indian 326 288 92.0 84.1-96.1 24 6.4 2.7-14.5 14 1.6 0.6- 4.3
Non-Hispanic Other 157 148 94.6 85.2-98.1 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Hispanic 350 329 92.4 87.9-95.4 14 4.6 2.5- 8.4 *** *** ***
AGE
18-34 772 683 87.6 83.8-90.6 69 9.9 7.1-13.5 20 2.5 1.5- 4.2
35-44 559 518 90.3 84.9-93.9 33 7.5 4.5-12.3 *** *** ***
45-54 604 560 91.6 87.5-94.4 26 5.0 3.0- 8.3 18 3.4 1.7- 6.8
55-64 722 693 94.3 90.6-96.6 18 4.4 2.4- 8.1 11 1.3 0.5- 3.2
65-74 690 653 94.8 91.3-97.0 26 3.3 1.7- 6.3 11 1.9 0.7- 4.7
75+ 510 487 96.1 93.4-97.8 18 3.1 1.7- 5.6 *** *** ***
EDUCATION
Less Than H.S. 305 280 91.5 84.9-95.4 16 5.3 2.4-11.6 *** *** ***
H.S. or G.E.D. 832 756 89.4 85.7-92.2 52 7.6 5.3-10.8 24 3.0 1.6- 5.7
Some Post-H.S. 1,085 997 90.0 86.6-92.5 70 8.0 5.7-11.2 18 2.0 1.1- 3.6
College Graduate 1,668 1,591 95.4 93.7-96.6 55 3.5 2.5- 5.1 22 1.1 0.6- 1.9
FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY
Yes 1,292 1,182 89.4 86.0-92.1 72 7.2 4.9-10.5 38 3.4 2.1- 5.3
No 2,581 2,426 92.9 91.2-94.3 121 5.9 4.6- 7.4 34 1.3 0.8- 2.0
VETERAN STATUS
Veteran 498 463 92.1 88.5-94.7 23 5.9 3.6- 9.4 12 2.0 1.0- 3.8
Non-Veteran 3,401 3,171 91.6 89.9-93.1 169 6.3 5.0- 7.8 61 2.1 1.4- 3.1
EMPLOYMENT STATUS
Employed or Self-Employed 2,099 1,944 90.9 88.7-92.7 119 7.2 5.6- 9.3 36 1.9 1.2- 2.9
Unemployed 173 158 88.5 77.5-94.5 11 10.2 4.4-21.7 *** *** ***
Retired 1,102 1,048 95.9 93.9-97.3 38 3.2 1.9- 5.1 16 0.9 0.5- 1.7
Unable to Work 278 254 88.3 79.9-93.5 15 7.0 3.3-14.0 *** *** ***
Other not in Labor Force 221 212 95.7 91.2-97.9 *** *** *** *** *** ***
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
Less than $15,000 157 147 94.8 89.2-97.5 *** *** *** *** *** ***
$15,000- 24,999 264 243 89.4 81.4-94.2 18 8.9 4.7-16.1 *** *** ***
$25,000- 34,999 361 329 88.4 79.9-93.5 25 10.7 5.6-19.4 *** *** ***
$35,000- 49,999 480 439 91.2 86.7-94.3 29 7.0 4.2-11.5 12 1.8 0.8- 3.7
$50,000-74,999 530 484 87.7 81.6-91.9 32 7.7 4.5-12.7 14 4.6 2.1- 9.8
$75,000-100,000 417 393 92.1 86.1-95.7 20 6.4 3.2-12.3 *** *** ***
$100,000-150,000 452 425 93.9 90.2-96.2 22 4.8 2.8- 8.2 *** *** ***
$150,000+ 409 389 93.9 89.7-96.5 13 3.7 1.8- 7.3 *** *** ***
Don't know/Not sure or Refused 836 791 93.5 90.4-95.6 28 4.6 2.8- 7.5 17 1.9 0.9- 3.8
POVERTY LEVEL1
Less than 50% 64 60 96.0 89.1-98.6 *** *** *** *** *** ***
50% to 100% 297 275 91.5 84.9-95.4 15 6.1 3.0-11.8 *** *** ***
101% to 150% 244 224 90.2 77.8-96.0 18 9.8 4.0-22.2 *** *** ***
151% to 200% 292 266 89.2 80.8-94.2 17 9.2 4.5-17.9 *** *** ***
More than 200% 2,151 2,004 91.3 89.2-93.0 110 6.1 4.7- 7.9 37 2.5 1.6- 4.0
Don't know/Not sure or Refused 836 791 93.5 90.4-95.6 28 4.6 2.8- 7.5 17 1.9 0.9- 3.8
HOUSING
Own 2,582 2,433 92.6 90.6-94.2 109 5.5 4.1- 7.3 40 1.9 1.2- 3.1
Rent 1,030 946 89.9 86.5-92.5 60 8.0 5.7-11.3 24 2.1 1.2- 3.7
Other arrangement 254 226 89.7 84.1-93.5 21 7.2 4.2-11.9 *** *** ***
RURAL-URBAN RESIDENT2
Urban 1,196 1,123 92.6 90.3-94.3 54 5.6 4.0- 7.6 19 1.9 1.1- 3.2
Regional City or Suburban County 970 902 90.4 86.5-93.2 52 7.7 5.1-11.5 16 2.0 1.0- 3.7
Rural 1,740 1,615 91.9 89.3-93.8 87 5.7 4.1- 7.8 38 2.5 1.4- 4.4
NC DEPT OF COMMERCE COUNTY TIER3
Most Distressed Counties (Tier 1) 1,258 1,148 90.3 87.1-92.9 76 6.2 4.5- 8.5 34 3.5 1.8- 6.5
Less Distressed Counties (Tier 2) 1,098 1,018 91.2 88.6-93.3 60 6.5 4.8- 8.8 20 2.3 1.3- 4.0
Least Distressed Counties (Tier 3) 1,550 1,474 92.7 90.0-94.7 57 6.0 4.1- 8.8 19 1.2 0.7- 2.1
CDC SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX4
1st Quartile - Least Vulnerable 1,192 1,130 93.0 89.9-95.2 49 5.9 3.8- 9.0 13 1.2 0.6- 2.2
2nd Quartile 1,032 967 91.7 88.7-93.9 47 6.3 4.3- 9.2 18 2.0 1.1- 3.4
3rd Quartile 995 920 90.4 87.4-92.7 58 7.4 5.4-10.0 17 2.2 1.2- 4.2
4th Quartile - Most Vulnerable 687 623 90.8 84.4-94.8 39 3.9 2.2- 6.8 25 5.3 2.1-12.4

Back to Seatbelt Use and Drinking and Driving.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to changes in the weighting methodology and other factors, results from 2023 are NOT comparable to 2010
and earlier years.

***The estimate was suppressed because it did not meet statistical reliability standards. See BRFSS 2023 Annual Results Technical Notes for more details.

1Based on 2023 U.S Census Bureau poverty threshold incomes. Please see the BRFSS 2023 Annual Results Technical Notes for details.

2Based on U.S Census Bureau population estimates at the county level. Please see the BRFSS 2023 Annual Results Technical Notes for details.

3NC Dept. of Commerce County Tier Classification, based on respondent’s county of residence.
Please see the BRFSS 2023 Annual Results Technical Notes for details.

4Quartile of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Social Vulnerability Index
(https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/placeandhealth/svi/index.html) for respondent’s county of residence.
Please see the BRFSS 2023 Annual Results Technical Notes for details.

^Use caution in interpreting cell sizes less than 50, % = Percentage, C.I.(95%) = Confidence Interval (at 95 percent probability level).
Percentages are weighted to population characteristics and therefore cannot be calculated exactly from the numbers in this table.

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This page was generated on 06MAR25.

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