There are certain things in our lives that we never take the time to appreciate until we really need them. We never appreciate that flashlight in the cupboard until the lights go out. We never appreciate that fire extinguisher under the counter unit there is a fire. And, we never appreciate a seatbelt until we are in a car accident. Every city, town, and municipality may have a slightly different seatbelt law but they all agree that wearing a seatbelt saves lives.
Car Crash Statistics
There are a lot of car crashes in the United States and Canada. In fact, according to a survey compiled by the website DriverKnowledge.com, there is an average of 6 million car accidents a year in the U.S. alone. In those car accidents, there are 3 million people who are injured and 2/3 of those people walk away with serious or permanent injuries. Even worse, over 90 people die from car accidents every day.
Accident Factors
These accidents are caused by a number of factors but they generally fall into 3 categories. Alcohol-related crashes, speeding-related crashes, and reckless or distracted driving-related crashes. When these three things happen, and they do happen all too often, it is much more likely that an accident occurs where people get seriously hurt or killed. The car accident statistics from Denmon Pearlman says 80% of crashes involve some driver inattention and most victims are teens.
Seatbelt Effects
The good news to these daunting numbers is that there is a very simple way to combat becoming a statistic related to these terrible things. That is to wear your seat belt. Unfortunately, 1 in 7 people does not wear a seatbelt when driving. Doing something as simple as clicking in your seatbelt cuts your risk tremendously. Wearing a seatbelt reduces your risk of dying in a car crash by 45%. It cuts your risk of serious injury by 50% and you are an astonishing 30 times less likely to be ejected from your car during an accident while wearing a seatbelt.
Seatbelt Laws
As mentioned, seatbelt laws can vary based on where you are but almost all places in the U.S. and Canada have laws on the books that govern the laws of seatbelt wearing and responsibility. In most cases, not wearing a seatbelt in the front seat at least is illegal. Laws tend to fluctuate more when it comes to backseat passengers. Who is responsible for making sure that people who are required to wear a seatbelt are wearing them differs too. In some cases, it is on each individual whereas, in others, it is the drivers’ responsibility. Sometimes this can change with age where drivers are responsible for passengers under 16 but for adults, each is on their own. The fine associated with the ticket will change from place to place as well but know that if you are caught not wearing a seatbelt you will be fined!
Conclusion
As you can see, the benefits that come from wearing a seatbelt should outweigh any argument people have for not wearing them. Whether you wear it for your personal safety or just to follow the law, wearing a seatbelt is always a good idea! Remember, the next life a seatbelt saves could be yours!