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Why is wearing a seatbelt so important
Why is wearing a seatbelt so important
Importance of seat belt safety
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A fatal car accident occurs almost every ten minutes in the United States, resulting in 30,800 occupant deaths a year, and even though seatbelts could prevent an estimated 10,000 of these deaths according to Crash Circumstances website (2018), we still see a many people simply will not wear them. There is an estimated amount of six-million people in Missouri according to Missouri state highway patrol website (2016) of those are 4.25 million are drivers, in 2013 there was around 760 fatal car accidents so that means you are around 1:4,000 chance of being in a fatal car accident and 1:8,000 dying in a car wreck. This may seem like low odds, but you take an even greater risk when you are not wearing your seatbelt. After reading many crash statistics posted by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (2017) and Missouri Highway Patrol (2016), I have become very passionate on the subject of seatbelt safety and noticed there is a problem with these laws. The purpose of this paper is to provide a possible solution to reduce the problem, labeling both positive and negative aspects, and a solution to the problem. …show more content…
Wearing your seat belt every time you are in the car, will raise the state’s percentage to be higher than 79% which will decrease the amount of fatal deaths. Your seat belt is the best defense that you have when in the car, it is the only thing that can protect you from drunk, distracted, or impaired drivers. Not wearing your seat belt puts you at a much higher risk of death if in a crash, so you really need to think about: is your life important. Missouri’s law on seat belts are only primary for children under the age of 16, which is why our percentage is lower than the national average (savemolives.com, 2016). We are one of the few states that do not require everyone to wear their seat belt, only front passenger and driver are
In North Carolina, the “Click It or Ticket” program was put into place in 1993 by former Governor Jim Hunt to increase safety belt and child safety use rates through stepped up enforcement of the state’s safety belt law. According to North Carolina’s safety belt law all drivers and front seat passengers over the age of 16 are required to wear safety belts. Children less than age 16 are covered under the North Carolina Child Restraint Law. This law requires that children must be buckled up no matter where they are seated in the vehicle. Violators of the safety belt law are issued tickets and are subject to a fine of $25 plus $50 court costs. These violations have been defined as “infractions” and are not entered on driving records. In addition to this, effective January 1, 2005, any child less than 8 years old or 80 pounds in weight must ride in a booster seat. Violations of this law will result in a $25 fine plus court costs as well as having 2 points placed against driver’s license. However, drivers cited for this violation of this law for a 5,6, or 7 year old will be able to have the charges dismissed if they present proof to the court that they have acquired an appropriate restraint for that child. Statistics have been gathered on safety belt use since this program began and has shown that seat belt use has increased from 65 percent to 84 percent. It has also shown that fatal and serious injuries in North Carolina have been cut by 14 percent. Resulting in a savings of at least $135 million in health care related costs. Other positive ef...
An enormous division currently exists between the people who believe that automobile safety should be an option and those that feel it must be a requirement. The federal government feels the morally obligated to create the safest driving environment possible. On the other end of the spectrum, opinions exist that the average driver has ability to make the choice of safety on their own. Editorials, political assemblies, debates, and conversations have arrived on the concept of click it or ticket. This idea refers to ticketing any motor vehicle driver and passenger that is not fastened by a seat belt. Arguments have been made for both sides, and have been reviewed in multiple states.
In the late 1920’s, school buses and larger industrial vehicles became a popular source of transportation that started from Ford dealership owner, A.L. Luce. Luce had plans to extend the school bus frame (from a Model T) to accompany more students per one bus. As school buses and city buses became more common throughout America’s cities for daily transportation, safety regulations and precautions were put in place. Safety features, including flashing caution lights, visors outside of the vehicle, and motorized stop signs and stop arms were all installed within the next 80 years to make the journey to and from school safer. Although many of these precautions were taken, many citizens believe that not enough action was taken to promote safety on school buses. Because a variety of school bus companies do not have a stance on whether seatbelts should be installed or not, the safety concerns mainly impact parents and school leaders. A good solution for many of those concerned would be the installation of seatbelts on every school bus within the United States, but the reality of seatbelts being on buses is quite the opposite of what people believe. Seatbelts are not the justification to these safety issues concerning school corporations and parents nationwide, as the seatbelts are a costly and dangerous factor.
Is there in the world anything more essential than having a new opportunity of life? Although several individuals may possibly think an obligatory use of seat belt is a technique for causing people to feel a prisoner in their own car, putting on a seat belt would make the difference in a car accident. The use of seat belts provides security while driving; shows self-consciousness and has a role in government. That is why, the use of seat belts should be mandatory for drivers.
In 1966, the National Highway Safety Bureau (NHSB) was designed by the Highway Act. NHSB’s director, Dr. William Haddon, noticed that he could prevent motor-vehicle injuries by applying public health methods and epidemiology. Various passages demanded the government to set standards for the highway and motor vehicles. The federal government responded by developing new safety features in cars such as safety belts, head rests, and shatter-resistant windshields. Barriers, reflectors, and center line strips were placed on roadways to provide direction and illumination. Traffic safety laws, wearing a safety belt, and public education encouraged drivers to make safer decisions. The use of safety belts has skyrocketed from 11% in 1981 to 68% in 1997 and decreases When the community and government understood the necessity for motor-vehicle safety, various programs such as Prior to the implementation, the rate stood at 18 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 1925; however, the rate stood at 1.7 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 1997. With all of the new safety features with cars, public education and enforcement of safety laws, “motor-vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of injury-related deaths in the United States.” Over 23.9 million vehicle crashes were reported in 1997; estimated costs were around $200 billion.
Even though there are some statistics that may show a lower rate of injury or death if you wear a seat belt when in an automobile accident, I do not feel that the government has the right to make wearing a seat belt mandatory for adults because by making seat belts mandatory it takes away from our right to freedom of choice, and wearing a seat belt does not eliminate the risk of injury or death as people have been injured and/or killed due to wearing a seat belt Current seat belt law originated from federal legislation in the 1960s that made it mandatory for all automobile manufacturers to include seat belts in their vehicles as a standard feature. Originally, the purpose of a seat belt was not to protect the occupants in the case of a crash, but rather to physically keep them in the vehicle, as driving was bumpy business. However, in today’s times, mandatory use of a seat belt falls under various states purview. Each state implements its own laws regarding enforcement of seat belt use.
Many people may choose not to wear a seatbelt because they don’t understand how and why they work. To begin with seatbelts are the first line of defense one has against an injury in a crash.
The main concern of new parents is what car seat is right for their newborn baby. Not only do they have to decide what car seat is right for them they have to make the more important decision which is if they should go rear facing or forward facing. In 2008, research was done to provide the information that kids under the age of two are 75% less likely to become injured in a rear facing car seat. Rear facing and forward facing seats have pros and cons depending on the severity and type of crash it is involve in . A rear facing can protect the child better in side impact crashes. During crashes the babies body is completely harnessed in so there is no dangerous movement made to pull the neck in the wrong way. Rear facing also has cons like their legs can be squished against the seat and cause an uncomfortable car experience. If there is a rear collision they could potentially be ejected from the car. Rear facing also can cause their legs to be squished against the seat.
In the United States, statistics show that car accidents are a leading cause of death in children between 0 and 14 years of age. A significant amount of the fatalities are due to improper restraint of the children while riding in the car. For the younger children, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that toddlers remain rear facing in their car seats until age 2, or until they reach the maximum height and weight for their specified car seat. According to Illinois law, a parent could face their child’s car seat forward at 12 months, as long as the child meets the height and weight requirements for the car seat. The rear facing car seat recommendation should be extended to at least 4 years old in order to protect toddler passengers during car accidents.
We have all heard the excuses before, "It's uncomfortable, I'm only going around the corner", I'd rather be thrown out of a car than be stuck in a seatbelt," and my favorite, "I'm a good driver I don't need to wear one." Well you may be a good driver but there are situations beyond your control such as bad weather, road conditions and not to mention other drivers that can affect your safety. Seat belts can mean the difference between life and death in an auto accident. Wearing a seat belt every time you enter a vehicle is not only the smart thing to do it is the right thing because it saves lives, it's the law and it will save you money.
Seatbelts have been around since the 1950s and have proven to save lives over the years. The teenage stigma is that they do not need to wear one because they will be fine. After thousands of accidents where the occupants did not wear their seatbelt, the Supreme Court decided to pass some laws. “In 1972, the agency requires dull passive restraints for front seat occupants” (Supreme Court). The agency that the Supreme Court is referring to is the Department of Transportation. This law is a staple in automobile safety and sets a level of precedents for future laws. After this law was passed, the amount of fatalities from traffic incident relating to seat belts usage had dropped. The Supreme Court did not stop there, they continued to add more laws. “...new motor vehicles produced after September 1982 will be equipped with passive restraints to protect the safety of the occupants of the vehicle in the event of a collision” (Supreme Court). Now all new motor vehicles must have a form of passive restraint added to their vehicles before they can sell them to the public. The government hoped to protect more lives of young drivers who did not insist on wearing seat belts by making them mandatory and being enforced by police officers. Since 1972, hundreds of thousands of teenage lives have been saved with this simple safety
Based on the analysis done by James Medison University, As many as 17,000 people could be saved every year by wearing a seatbelt. When we are not wearing a seat belt, it will increase medical costs in the event of an accident.
If you are a person who does not always wear your seat belt all the times, or think that you are a good driver and nothing is going to happen to you, I strongly urge that you most definitely need to start getting in the habit of doing so starting now it only takes 2 seconds. Your safety should always be a very important priority. Therefore, wearing a seat belt will lessen your chance of death and serious injuries if you are ever involved in a minor or serious car accident. Finding a reason to not wear your seat belt when you are in a vehicle or simply just not bothering to wear one is breaking the law, and most importantly putting your life in danger. Extremely too many people are losing their lives in devastating car accidents from not buckling up and every year the rate is still rising. The next time you are in a car and don’t have on your seat belt think about all the repercussions that people who didn’t have on a seat belt during a car accident and probably thought, “Nothing is going to happen to me” and ended up no longer able to remember things due to their head being slammed into the windshield in and their leg being broken. Think about all of the millions of people who have lost their lives. No one is safe from these dangers and you can be a victim too if you don’t buckle up. Just one wise decision can save your
It’s true what everyone talks about safety – you are the key to your safety, when you do it safely you do it the right way and the best gift you can give to your family is to always stay safe. We have been taught by our parents and teachers to be cautious while doing a number of things. That’s very essential in our daily lives, because one needs to be extra cautious to prevent unavoidable accidents. However, mishaps do happen everywhere in the safest of places, no matter how careful we are in our actions. It is highly unpredictable, what’s going to happen the very next instant. There are numerous incidences we come across like simple trips, falls, cuts due to sharp objects, burns or sudden worsening of a person’s health condition, causing
Road safety is one of the most important aspects of daily living. Our vehicle is our main transportation from one place to another. The number of car and motorcycle accidents seem to be increasing because of the many distractions, the lack of safety measures and judgment to road conditions and weather. Not being cautious increases the chances of not only injuring ourselves but hurting others as well. On the road, you see people talking on their cell phones or texting, eating, putting makeup on, changing the radio station, reading or using your GPS while driving. These are all distractions that endanger drivers, passengers and bystanders safety. Safe driving involves off-road precautionary measures such as making sure tires are properly inflated, testing windshield wipers, getting regular oil changes and tune-ups and adjusting the mirrors. All of these actions can help prevent an accident. Unfortunately, not all of us decide to wear our seat belts when driving or turn signal ligh...