Seat Belt Safety Facts

Using seat belts is very important to the safety of passengers and drivers. In many instances, seat belts have saved lives and prevented accidents from being worse than expected. The law is pretty much straight forward: buckle up.

Law

• Forty-nine of the states in the United States have safety belt use laws. Twenty-six of these, along with the District of Columbia, primarily enforce this law. In these places, law enforcers may ticket drivers when this law is overlooked, or issue a citation if the vehicle is stopped for another traffic violation.

Saves Lives

• Studies have shown that over 15,000 injuries from vehicle fatalities could be prevented per year if passengers buckle their seat belts.

Saves Money

• A research study from the NSC in 2001 showed that medical costs for victims injured in car crashes who did not buckle up were 50 percent higher than the costs for those who chose to click it.
  In addition, fines for not wearing the strap fall anywhere between $5 to $75, although the average price for seat belt fines is $25.

Demographics

• African-American men, pickup truck drivers and teenagers have the highest rate of non-seat belt use in the United States, resulting in a higher injury rate in accidents among these groups.

Exceptions

• Some states do not require wearing a seat belt in the back seat if you are above 16. However, it is always advised to wear a seat belt.