Seatbelts save lives.
Click it or ticket.
You could learn a lot from a dummy.
You’ve likely heard these slogans and understand the importance of wearing a seatbelt. For most of us, buckling up every time we get into a vehicle is second nature: You step into the car, get comfortable, find your favorite radio station, put your seatbelt on, start the engine and away you go. But some people still choose not to wear a seatbelt, despite the tragic consequences that can result.
Ad campaigns featuring talking crash test dummies and gruesome accident scenes illustrate the dangers of not wearing a seatbelt, but sometimes that’s not enough.
Why people don’t wear seatbelts
Buckling up should be second nature every time you get into a vehicle—whether it’s your personal car or a moving truck.
One of the most common reasons people don’t wear a seatbelt is that they generally feel safe and ignore the risk. No matter how safe you might feel, the statistics don’t lie: A seatbelt is the most effective safety device for preventing injury and death. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drivers and passengers who buckle up are 50% more likely to avoid serious injury and death in a collision.
Want to know more facts about seatbelts? Here you go:
- Wearing a seatbelt is the law. Police officers will ticket anyone not wearing a seatbelt.
- 30% of unrestrained occupants are ejected from the vehicle in an accident.
- 77% of passengers who weren’t wearing a seatbelt and were ejected from the vehicle died.
- 54% of all driver deaths are those who were unrestrained.
- Airbags are designed to work WITH seatbelts, not instead of them.
What can you do?
No one wants to feel like a wet blanket who is constantly reminding their friends and family to buckle up, but the bottom line is that it’s a simple click that can save lives. Anytime you’re in a vehicle—whether it’s your personal car or a moving truck—insist that everyone wears a seatbelt. If someone refuses and wants to argue with you, throw out the line your parents always used: “My car, my rules.”
Do you always remind friends to buckle up and refuse to start the car until they do so? Have you come up with a song or game to help kids remember to put their seatbelt on every time they’re in a car? Use the comments section to share how you ensure that everyone in a vehicle with you buckles up.
