A record number of South Carolinians are using seat belts but the state still lags behind the national average. A record number of South Carolina motorists are finding it worth their time to buckle up.

According to a survey done by the University of South Carolina and recently released by the state Department of Public Safety, 79 percent of South Carolinians are buckling up - an all-time high.

It is the third consecutive year the Palmetto State has achieved a safety belt usage rate higher than 70 percent.

"The increase in the safety belt usage rate is indicative of the extraordinary work by state and local law enforcement officials," said S.C. Department of Public Safety Director Mark Keel. "The bottom line is that when more people wear safety belts, more lives are saved on our highways."

Data was conducted during the recent "Buckle Up South Carolina" campaign that ran from May 19 to June 1. Results from the survey were based on numbers collected from 16 counties recording drivers and passengers using shoulderstyle safety belts.

According to the survey, more than 86 percent of drivers in Lexington County were found to use their seat belts, best in South Carolina. A rate just under 68 percent earned Bamberg County the state's low mark.

The study found 78 percent of motorists used safety

belts in Cherokee County. Sheriff Bill Blanton said deputies wrote 16 tickets during the month of May, some of which were during the Buckle Up campaign.

"For the most part we are on the lookout for those driving under the influence or putting others in danger," Blanton said. "It's something that we don't usually look for, but if the person is not buckled up they will get a ticket."

Research also showed nearly 86 percent of women across the state used seat belts, compared to 74 percent of men.

Though the results are encouraging, South Carolina still falls short of the national seat belt usage rate of 82 percent. However, Keel believes things are headed in the right direction.

"Every little bit helps," Keel said. "Of course, we have room to improve and we can through the continued efforts of law enforcement, education and the public's compliance with the law."

This year, 378 people have been killed on South Carolina roads, including 248 were not wearing seat belts.