Neglecting to wear a seatbelt is extremely unsafe. When an accident happens, the vehicle stops while the occupant keeps going. Properly fastened seatbelts reduce the risk of injury and save many lives. Despite the fact that the risk of serious injury is significantly reduced by seatbelt use, many people still neglect to wear their seatbelts. The cost of this neglect is high, resulting in unnecessary injury, death and financial cost.
The Facts
The bad habit of not buckling up contributes to more fatalities than any other safety-related behavior involving automobiles. The results are grim: Every hour someone dies in America simply because they didn't buckle up. This is because, at the moment of impact in an accident, the unbuckled occupants are still traveling at the speed of the vehicle. Even though the vehicle has stopped, the passengers continue to be hurled forward until they make contact with either the seatbelt or some part of the car. They may also collide with each other, causing serious injury. Even after the human body has come to a stop in a collision, the internal organs are still moving. The slamming of internal organs into each other or into the skeletal system is what causes serious injury or death.
Significance
It's a proven fact that seatbelts save lives. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 5,000 deaths per year could be prevented if 90 percent of Americans would buckle up. As it is, seatbelts are estimated to save 9,500 lives per year. Using a properly fastened seatbelt or child restraint reduces the risk of death by 75 percent and the chance of injury by 55 percent.
Savings
In additions to the tremendous benefit of lives saved, there are financial savings to be had as well. Unbuckled occupants contribute to higher taxes, health care and insurance costs. Inpatient hospital care for an unbelted crash victim costs an average of 50 percent higher than those with a properly fastened seatbelt. If everyone buckled up, this figure would drop significantly. Estimates of total financial savings to be achieved through increased seatbelt use are nearly $9 billion annually.
Misconceptions
Some people think they don't need to wear their seatbelts because they are just "going around the corner." Others think they should be exempt because their car has an airbag, they are a good driver or their seatbelt feels uncomfortable. Still others fear being trapped if their car ends up in a lake or catches fire. None of these arguments justifies not wearing a properly fastened seatbelt, however. Eighty-five percent of crashes happen within five miles of the driver's residence, so wearing a seatbelt on short trips is more important than ever. Airbags do not take the place of seatbelts. They are supplemental restraint systems, so seatbelts are still very much needed. In addition, no matter how expert the driver is, accidents do happen. Furthermore, unbuckled occupants who end up in a pond are much more likely to be knocked unconscious and therefore incapable of exiting the vehicle, even though the seatbelt is off.
Warning
While wearing seatbelts during vehicle travel is extremely important, wearing them properly is equally critical to passenger safety. Individuals who wear the lap belt but not the shoulder belt, wear the shoulder belt but not the lap belt, wear the lap belt up over their abdomen (as opposed to over the pelvic bones), or tuck the shoulder belt under their arm are all at increased risk of injury in the event of an accident. Fastening the safety belt too loosely, or reclining while wearing the belt, are also safety concerns. The best practice for seatbelt safety is to wear them properly---and always.
Tags: fastened seatbelt, properly fastened, properly fastened seatbelt, serious injury, shoulder belt