Why Should We Wear Seat Belts?

Seat belts save lives: More than a slogan.

The consequences of not wearing a seat belt range from minor annoyance to serious injury or even death. When you wear your seat belt you not only protect yourself, but you set a good example for those around you. While some state's laws are stricter than others, the trend in seat belt legislation is towards tougher primary enforcement.

It's the Law

As of May 2010, 30 states and the District of Columbia have primary seat belt laws. Under primary enforcement, a police officer can stop you solely because they have spotted you traveling in a motor vehicle without wearing your seat belt. In the states that still use secondary enforcement, officers can only issue a seat belt citation after stopping you for some other traffic offense. New Hampshire, as of May 2010, is the only state in the country without a primary or secondary seat belt law covering adults, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA).

Fines

If you ride unbuckled, you run the risk of getting stopped by the police. The resultant financial hit varies by state, and, likely, the mood of the officer. Among states with primary laws, Texas levies the largest fine--$200 for violations involving minors. Regardless of age, a seat belt ticket sets you back $124 in Washington. North Carolina fines unbuckled front seat occupants $100, while Oregon hits offenders, regardless of seating position, with a $97 penalty. Rhode Island, reports GHSA, leads the way among secondary law states with a $75 fine. Nearly half of U.S. states, as of May 2010, issue a $25 fine for seat belt violations.

Protect Your Children

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) contend that adult seat belt use predicts child restraint use. When a driver is unbuckled, children in the same vehicle ride unrestrained 40 percent of the time. When four to seven-year old children use a booster seat with a shoulder/lap belt, their injury risk drops by almost 60 percent, according to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) research.

Arrive Alive

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data validates the old adage that seat belts save lives. NHTSA estimates that, in 2008, seat belts saved the lives of 13,250 people, five years of age and older. Child restraints spared the lives of 244 youngsters, four years of age and younger. With 100 percent compliance, NHTSA believes seat belts could have saved an additional 4,152 lives in 2008.

Prevent Injury

If you are front seat passenger in a car, the simple act of buckling up reduces your risk of fatal injury by 45 percent. Seat belt use lowers your chances of moderate-to-critical injury by 50 percent. NHTSA says that those numbers jump to 60 and 65 percent, respectively, when riding in a light truck. NHTSA statistics reveal that 75 percent of those who died in passenger vehicle wrecks in 2006 were ejected from their vehicle. Seat belts stop this from happening. NHTSA contends that ejection from the vehicle is one of the most common injury causes in a crash. Think about it. When ejected from your vehicle, you tend to take the route that goes through your windshield.

References

• Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA): Seat Belt Laws, May 2010
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): Lives Saved in 2008 by Restraint Use And Minimum Drinking Age Laws
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): Occupant Protection
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Child Passenger Safety--Fact Sheet
• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP): Car and Booster Seats for Your 4- to 8-year-old