Do you wear a seat belt while driving or riding in a vehicle?
Despite known safety advantages of wearing a seat belt, about 1 in 10 people only use one occasionally or not at all. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 90.1 percent of drivers and front-seat passengers wear a seat belt. In 1981, only 11 percent buckled up.
Those most likely to not wear a seat belt are young males living in the Midwest who drive a pickup truck.
Drivers and passengers in the western United States are more likely to wear seat belts than those in other areas of the country. Thirty four states have primary seat belt laws, and another 15 have secondary laws.
Why wear a seatbelt?
The NHTSA estimates that seat belt use can reduce the risk of fatal injury in a car accident by 45 percent. Their analysis further revealed that when seat belts are used in conjunction with frontal airbags, the fatality rate was reduced by 11 percent. Seat belts also reduce the risk of a moderate to severe injury by 50 percent.
Seat belts are very effective at preventing ejections from a vehicle. Eighty percent of individuals who are ejected from a vehicle in a crash are killed.
Seat belts saved an estimated 14,000 lives in 2015.
There are compelling reasons to wear a seatbelt while driving or while riding as a passenger in a vehicle. Tell your friends and family about the importance of wearing a seat belt, and make sure you always wear one yourself.
Free consultation: If you have been injured in a car accident and wish to learn about your legal options, please contact Cutter Law P.C., at 888-285-3333.