What Are the Dangers of Not Wearing Your Seatbelt?
The dangers of not wearing your seat belt vary in severity. Clearly, the increased risk of death or injury tops the list for most people. If you choose to ride unrestrained, it is increasingly likely that you are putting children you travel with at risk. While your life is worth more than money, you also increase your chances of being hit with fines and other hassles as a result of opting to go without a seat belt.
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Injury and Death
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A primary danger of not wearing your seat belt is death or serious injury. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that out of 28,141 passenger vehicle fatalities in 2006 where seat belt usage was known, 55 percent of the dead were not buckled up. When isolating on 13-to-15-year olds, NHTSA reports that 65 percent of those killed were not wearing a seat belt. When used properly, NHTSA claims that shoulder/lap belts reduce the risk of fatal injury to front seat car occupants by 45 percent. Your chances of moderate-to-critical injury drop by 50 percent. Don't rely on an air bag to do its job without a seat belt. As the Michigan State Police (MSP) contend, air bags do not help you much in a rollover or side-or-rear-impact crash.
Impact on Children
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Research reveals that when drivers ride unrestrained, young passengers tend to as well. For example, a NHTSA study shows that in motor vehicle wrecks between 1995 and 2004, 63 percent of fatally injured children through age 3 were not restrained when drivers went unbuckled. By contrast, when the driver wore a seat belt, only 25 percent of children up to 3 years old rode unrestrained. As children get older, the numbers get worse. Among 4-to-7-year olds, NHTSA reports 81 percent were unrestrained when the driver was not wearing a seat belt. Ninety-one percent of fatally injured 8-to-15-year-olds traveled unrestrained when the driver did the same.
If you buckle up your child up as dictated by your state's laws--either with a child restraint device or adult seat belt--do it properly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) points out that parents and other caregivers often improperly install car seats. In addition, the CDC recommends keeping all children 12 years of age and younger in the back seat. For kids less than 16 years old, riding in the back seat is linked to a 40-percent reduction in the risk of serious injury.
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Trouble With the Law
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According to April 2010 Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) data, 30 states and the District of Columbia have primary seat belt laws. Under a primary law, law enforcement can pull your over just to slap you with a seat belt citation. In secondary enforcement states, offices have to stop you for another traffic offense before giving out a seat belt ticket. In either case, all states make you pay at least something for breaking the seat belt law. Fines range from $10 in some states, including Arizona and Pennsylvania, to $200 in Texas and $124 in Washington. In some states, you will have to pay with your time by appearing in court to deal with your seat belt ticket.
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References
- Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA): Child Passenger Safety Laws, April 2010
- Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA): Occupant Protection
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Child Passenger Safety, Fact-Sheet
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): The Case for Primary Enforcement
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): Strengthening Seat Belt Use Laws, January 2008
Resources
- Photo Credit car crash image by dawn from Fotolia.com
