A lot-‘ of American motorists have a tendency to gamble with their own lives, judging by poor response to campaigns for voluntary use of seat belts, Nationally, safety officials estimate auto restraint systems cduld prevent a minimum of 9,000 more deaths annually, says Clarence Johnson, director of special programs at the Denver regional office of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Department of Transporta- tion. But the average seat belt usage ranges only 8 to 12 percent and as low as 5 percent in some surveys, Johnson said. Lamentably, motorists generally are apathetic to appeals for seat belt use. he Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said in recent news dispatches it has reviewed more than a dozen voluntary campaigns worldwide since 1968 and found in all but two cases there was no discerned effect on belt usage, In the remaining cases Sweden and Ontario, Canada – belt usage increased 10 percent and 2 percent, respectively, The national traffic fatality rate, after reaching a low of 3.22 per million vehicle miles traveled in 1976, has been rising steadily. One of every 60 people born today will be killed in a motor vehicle crash if projections come true. A Utah study of fatal crashes in 1980 showed that of the drivers and passengers killed, only 6 percent wore seat belts. Ninety-four percent of those fatally injured were not wearing the belts, The fatal crashes involved 761 persons and 715 of these were not using restraints. Besides reducing fatalities, seat belts and shoulder hamesses cut the severity of injuries by at least 40 percent, say safety officials. The use of child restraint seats also improve markedly the chances for survival or lessened injuries in a crash. One type seat is designed for infants up to a year old; another for toddlers up to 4 years. When correctly installed. these are anchored in the car, usually by a seat belt. In California, child restraint usage runs about 16-18 percent, according to a recent survey – higher than for seat belts. But the percentages vary by state. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is mounting a $5 million campaign to urge use of safety belts, Wise motorists will heed the message.