Safety First: The Importance of Wearing Your Seat Belt

 Posted on January 26, 2018 in Car Accidents

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), seat belts save an average of 13,000 lives each year nationwide. The importance of wearing a seat belt cannot be overstated in the event of a collision, as 48 percent of all passengers killed in vehicular collisions in 2015 were not wearing their seat belts.

As a vehicle driver, it is your responsibility to ensure that every passenger in your vehicle is wearing his or her seat belt. Accidents do happen, and when they do, the use of a seat belt can be the difference between life and death.

The Importance of Wearing Seat belts

Seat belts are undoubtedly a crucial aspect of motor vehicle safety. Consider the following reasons why:

Avoiding Ejection: Correct usage of seat belts drastically reduce the chances of passenger ejection from the vehicle. The NHTSA states that 80 percent of passengers ejected from a vehicle in an accident suffer fatal injuries.

Working with the Airbag: While some drivers assume that an airbag will protect passengers regardless of seat belt usage, that assumption is factually incorrect. Airbags are designed to work in conjunction with seat belts. Without use of seat belts, airbags can actually cause more harm than good.

Wear Your Seat belt (Correctly): Wearing your seat belt is incredibly important. However, without proper utilization the protective purposes of the belt can be undermined. Pause, take a second and equip your seat belt correctly. If children are in the vehicle, take an additional moment and ensure that they are wearing their seat belts in the proper fashion.

Wearing Your Seat Belt is Illinois State Law

In case you needed more motivation to wear a seat belt in the state of Illinois, state law requires that all passengers over the age of eight, wear seat belts while riding in a vehicle. In 2014 alone, 46,735 people were convicted of not wearing safety belts while in a moving vehicle. Save yourself the money and time and wear your seat belt.

Contact Us

The use of a seat belt can be the difference between life or death in the event of an automobile accident. If you get behind the wheel of a car, it is your responsibility to ensure that all passengers are using their seat belts correctly. Unfortunately, accidents do happen. If you or a loved one are injured in an automobile accident, contact a knowledgeable Waukegan personal injury attorney.

Sources:

https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/seat-belts

http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/drivers/traffic_safety/safetybelts.html