Buckle Up!
The number of lives that are estimated to have been saved by wearing seatbelts in the past several decades is sobering: 374,276. The number of serious injuries avoided is even greater. It’s encouraging that more than nine out of 10 of people wear seat belts these days, given the remarkable safety impacts of buckling up. One recent demonstration by the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) illustrates just how important seat belts are: A vehicle traveling 35 MPH smashed into a barrier with four dummies inside, none of which were belted in. They were thrown around the vehicle with extreme force, becoming projectiles that walloped into one another. Had they been humans, they likely would have died from their injuries.
Prioritize Safety
The majority of accidents occur within just 25 miles of home, at speeds of 40 MPH or less. This indicates that even short trips—where accidents are more likely to occur– are safer if people buckle up. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), people who are ejected from a vehicle in a crash die as a result of their injuries more than 80 percent of the time. The severity of injuries can depend on multiple factors, such as the weight of the other vehicle, speed, and the angle of the collision. But one thing that’s true across the boards is that the use of seatbelts decreases the severity of collision injuries by at least half.
Did You Know…
- The leading cause of death for individuals ages 1-54 is vehicle accidents;
- Roughly 15,000 live were saved by seat belt usage in 2017 alone;
- Having an unbelted person in the back seat increases the chance of a driver fatality by 137 percent.
- Pickup truck drivers and their passengers are the least likely to buckle up, at just 87 percent, compared to those in passenger cars, who used seat belts at a rate of 92 percent.
- Injuries related to vehicle collisions cost as much to $220 billion annually;
- More individuals fail to use seat belts at night than during the day;
- Men are more likely to die in collisions without wearing a seatbelt than women.
Factors Impacting Ejections
Without question, imperfections in a vehicle itself have the potential to contribute to an ejection. Those flaws include malfunctioning door latches, defective seat restraints, and weak rooftops. These are especially dangerous in certain types of accidents:
- Rollovers: The risk of ejection escalates when a vehicle is involved in a rollover crash. Most often large, square vehicles (SUV’s) are more prone to this type of accident, since the center of gravity is higher.
- Rear end crashes: When vehicles are hit from behind, particularly at high speeds, it increases the chance of a front windshield ejection.
- Multi-vehicle collisions: The force of multiple vehicles being butted into one another can result in people being thrown through front and side windows.
After a Collision
If you have been in an auto collision, your outcomes were likely significantly better if you were wearing a seatbelt. At any rate, if the incident was due to the negligence or recklessness of another driver, you may be entitled to damages to address medical costs and more. To discuss, schedule a confidential consultation with an experienced Baltimore personal injury attorney at The Law Office of Hasson D. Barnes in our office today.
Source:
injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/occupant-protection/seat-belts/#:~:text=The%20National%20Highway%20Traffic%20Safety,truck%20occupant%20deaths%20by%2060%25
