The importance of wearing a seat belt
Seat belts are the single most effective safety feature in any vehicle. It can save your life. Despite this, nearly one in five Americans fail to put on their seat belt when they get behind the wheel. As per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), wearing seat belts can reduce the risk of a deadly injury to front-seat passengers by 45%.
How to properly wear a seat belt
In Kentucky, 319, or 61%, of the 521 motor vehicle fatalities recorded in 2014 were unrestrained. When you wear your seat belt, remember that it should be worn across your shoulder and chest. This way, the crash force is distributed across stronger parts of your body that can take the impact. During a crash, it is the sudden change in speed that results in an injury. When you wear your seat belt, your body stays in one position. You are not thrown around or out of your car.
Feeling restrained?
Regardless of how far you’re driving, you need to always properly wear your seat belt. Accidents can occur anywhere, even when you’re driving the speed limit and driving carefully. Some people may feel restrained while wearing a seat belt. However, it’s important to remember that you will be able to get out of the car and not get trapped because of your seat belt in the event of an emergency. Those who wear a seat belt during a crash are more likely to leave the accident uninjured and conscious.
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As a Kentucky Auto Accident Attorney, I would like to remind Kentucky drivers to always wear their seat belt and make sure to wear it correctly. If you don’t buckled up, not even the strongest airbag can save your life. Seat belts and airbags are only effective when they are used together. If you don’t wear a seat belt, you could be ejected from the vehicle and thrown into a busy street. This could be fatal. Please always properly wear your seat belts and make sure your children are in the appropriate car or booster seat.