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ARRIVE ALIVE

Seat Belt Facts

 

Seatbelts SAVE LIVES

Wearing your seatbelt as a front-seat passenger can limit your chances of moderate to fatal injury by 50% and of dying by 45%. (NHTSA)

 

Seatbelts SAVE LIVES 

In 2021, 26,325 passenger vehicle occupants were killed. About 50% of those killed were not buckled (based on known seat belt use.)

 

Seatbelts SAVE LIVES

Wearing your seatbelt in a light truck limits your risk of critical injury by 60%. (AAA)

 

Seatbelts SAVE LIVES

15,000 lives are saved every year by wearing a seat belt. (NHTSA)

IT'S THE LAW

 

WHO MUST BE SECURED?

Everyone driving or riding in automobiles and trucks with a licensed gross weight of less than 12K lbs. must wear seat belts. Children ages eight through 15 riding in any seat position of any vehicle must wear seat belts. Persons less than 18 years of age operating or riding in trucks (regardless of gross weight) must wear seat belts.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE AND SUBJECT TO FINE?

It is the driver’s responsibility to ensure passengers under the age of 16 are safely buckled up. Those 16 and over are responsible for themselves. Violators may be subject to a fine and court costs for not properly using seat belts and/or child restraints.

SEAT BELT MYTHS

 

MYTH: Seatbelts Aren’t for Pregnant Women

FACT: In car crashes, the mother’s death is the main cause of an unborn baby’s death. An unrestrained mother puts herself and her unborn child at risk for injury.

 

MYTH: Seatbelts Trap People

FACT: A seatbelt increases your chance of escape because it reduces your risk of getting knocked around and losing consciousness.

 

MYTH: I Don’t Need to Buckle Up for Short Trips

FACT: More than 80% of traffic deaths occur within 25 miles from home and at speeds less than 40 mph.

 

MYTH: Seatbelts Aren’t Needed in the Back Seat

FACT: The law requires all passengers to be buckled. In a crash, an unrestrained back seat passenger acts as a projectile, possibly hitting the front-seat passenger with a crushing force.

GUIDELINES TO BUCKLE UP SAFELY

  • The lap belt and shoulder belt are secured across the pelvis and rib cage, which are better able to withstand crash forces than other parts of your body.
  • Place the shoulder belt across the middle of your chest and away from your neck. The lap belt rests across your hips, not your stomach.
  • NEVER put the shoulder belt behind your back or under an arm.

FIT MATTERS

  • Before you buy a new car, check to see that its seat belts are a good fit for you.
  • Ask your dealer about seat belt adjusters, which can help you get the best fit.
  • If you need a roomier belt, contact your vehicle manufacturer to obtain seat belt extenders.
  • If you drive an older or classic car with lap belts only, check with your vehicle manufacturer about how to retrofit your car with today’s safer lap/shoulder belts.

THE NEXT LIFE SAVED COULD BE YOURS

CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY LAW

INFANT & TODDLER

Children less than four years old OR less than 40 pounds must be in an appropriate child safety seat.

BOOSTER

Children ages four through seven who weigh at least 40 pounds must be in an appropriate child safety seat OR booster seat UNLESS they are 80 pounds OR 4’9” tall.

SEAT BELT

Children eight and over OR weighing at least 80 pounds OR at least 4’9” tall are required to be secured by a safety belt OR booster seat appropriate for that child.