While no one really likes to hear about someone getting a traffic ticket, it helps to know that the cause behind the citation is good. Beginning May 23rd and ending June 5th, the enforcement aspects of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) “Click It or Ticket” campaign are sure to cause more people to get pulled over for seatbelt safety violations. Although the advertisement campaign is set to start May 16th, it is during the final weeks that law enforcement officers are specifically told to be “on the lookout” for drivers not wearing seatbelts.
Why is Seatbelt Safety So Important?
As surprising as it may seem, many American drivers, including teenagers and adults, do not believe that seatbelts afford very much safety benefits; some even believe that wearing a seatbelt increases your chance of suffering a serious injury or fatality during a car accident. You probably know a friend or two that will only buckle up once they have been reminded sternly a few times by someone else in the car. This notion that seatbelts do not save lives and cause more harm than good is entirely unfounded, backed by no credible scientific evidence. And, of course, quite the opposite is actually true.
Take a look at some of these seatbelt statistics the NHTSA has gathered for the campaign:
- In 2013, roughly 12,000 American lives were saved due to seatbelts.
- Between 2009 and 2013, a total of 63,000 lives were saved thanks to seatbelts.
- More than half – 54% – of all male car accident fatalities involved no seatbelt use.
- 63% of pickup truck driver fatalities involved no or inadequate seatbelt use.
When the police pull you over for not wearing a seatbelt, they are not doing so to try to cause you trouble. They are just doing what they do every day: protect you from undue harm.
Can Seatbelts Be Dangerous?
The only time a seatbelt can do you harm is when they are defective and fail, tear, or otherwise do not work as intended. But no one really knows when their seatbelt is defective until an accident occurs and, thus, not putting on a seatbelt out of fear it could be faulty does not follow logical sense. A defective seatbelt is still more likely to prevent injury than not having one at all, so please remember to always buckle up and with the appropriate amount of slack each and every time you enter a vehicle, even for short drives down the road.
However, if you are hurt in a car accident due to a defective seatbelt, know that The Gilbert Law Group® can help you seek compensation. Our auto product liability attorneys have dedicated their lives to understanding what causes auto part failures and representing clients who have suffered due to them. Contact us today for a free consultation.
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