According to a Thursday disclosure by the US Department of Transportation, the use of seat belts by Americans has soared to a new record-high rate; thanks largely to the adoption of seat belt legislation in most of the states.

Going by the statistics resulting from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)'s yearly survey, the use of seat belts countrywide has increased to 86 percent this year, as compared to the last year figures of 84 percent.

The increase in seat belt use by the Americans is particularly noteworthy given the fact that when the NHTSA first started assessing seat belt use patterns in 1994, the nationwide use of seat belts was barely 58 percent.

The NHTSA survey statistics have also revealed that the maximum increase in seat belt use has been witnessed in the South, where the percentage has climbed from last year's 80 percent to 85 percent this year. In addition, the region which has the highest seat belt use in the country is Western US, where 94 percent people use seat belts, as per the latest NHTSA figures.

Noting that the countrywide increase in seat belt use is largely an upshot of the relentless efforts of the "state and local partners and national efforts such as `Click It or Ticket'," NHTSA Administrator David Strickland said: "Moving forward, it will be critical to build on this success using a multi-faceted approach that combines good laws, effective enforcement, and public education and awareness."