Why Should People Use Seat Belts?

Failure to wear a seat belt can result in a fine.

You may have griped about wearing one when you were younger, or even driven without one as a teenager, but there's no question that seat belts are the best protector against injury in a vehicle.

Safety

In the event of a collision, your seat belt will hold you tightly against the seat, preventing you from being thrown across the vehicle. When the latter is the case, a victim may be severely injured or killed by hitting the dashboard, windshield, door or even another vehicle occupant. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that seat belts reduce the risk of death during a collision by 50 percent.

Cost

Depending on the laws or your state, you will be fined if caught driving without a seat belt. Repeat offenses mean the fines will add up, and if you receive enough tickets, your insurance premiums may also increase. If you're in an accident and aren't wearing your seat belt, you are likely to suffer more severe injuries than if you'd been wearing a belt. The NHTSA says unbelted collision victims will pay between two and seven times the medical bills of a belted individual, due to the increased chance of injury.

Statistics

In 2007, the NHTSA reported than 79 percent of Americans wore seat belts while driving. While this percentage may seem high, it means that roughly one in five motorists is not buckled up.

References

• University of Alabama at Birmingham: The Benefits of Buckling Up
• Federation of American Scientists: Seat Belts: Benefits Outweigh Excuses