If you’ve ever been stopped by a police officer for not having your safety belt on—or wearing it improperly by having the shoulder strap under your arm—you probably felt annoyed that the government dictates seat belt usage. Annoying or not, the truth is that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that more than 15,000 lives are saved each and every years in the United States because the driver and passengers were buckled up. Now, consider if one of those 15,000 lives was someone you love—your spouse, your parent, your sibling or your child.
How Seat Belts Protect Lives
Safety belts keep the drivers and passengers inside the vehicle in the event of a crash. Even though there was an urban myth which floated around for a while which held you are much better off to be thrown from the car in the event of a car accident, this simply isn’t true. In fact, those who are ejected from the vehicle are as much as four times more liable to be killed than those who remain inside, restrained by a safety belt. The seat belt controls the strongest parts of your body—in an older child or adult, these are the hips and shoulders. A properly worn lap and shoulder belt also spreads the intensity of the crash across the widest area of your body.
When less stress is put on any one section of your body, serious injury can be averted. The shoulder strap portion of your seat belt also restricts your neck, head and shoulders from striking the dash, steering wheel or other hard parts of your car’s interiors. Bodies are injured in crashes because of the quick alteration in speed, therefore the seat belt protect you by slowing your body down and preventing it from making a sudden change in speed. Finally, a safety belt is specifically designed to protect the two most critical parts of your body—your brain and your spinal cord. Traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries can have lifelong, serious consequences, and wearing your seatbelt goes a long way in preventing such a serious injury.
Make Sure You Buckle Up Correctly
Having your seat belt fit you correctly is almost as important as wearing it. The strap across the lap should fit snugly over your hips and upper thighs—not up on your stomach. The shoulder belt should be positioned across your chest area. The shoulder strap should never go across your chin or neck, and remember that placing the strap under your arms or behind your back and lead to serious injuries in the event of a crash. Children need specialized protection in the form of car seats and booster seats. Check the guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics to ensure you are providing the best option for your child’s age, height and weight. It is recommended that all children ride in the back seat of the vehicle, properly restrained in a car seat or seat belt, until the age of 13.
Click It—or Risk a Ticket
Every state in the United States, with the exception of New Hampshire, have seat belt laws, and in over two-thirds of these dictate that a police officer can stop a vehicle only because of a seat belt violation. In the other states the officer must have another reason to stop the car before citing the driver or passengers for failure to buckle up. You can be fined anywhere from $30 to $150 for failing to wear your seat belt, depending on your state. It is estimated that over 83% of all drivers and passengers wear their safety belts on a regular basis whether due to safety issues or fear of a citation. If you have a medical issue which prohibits you from wearing a safety belt, you will need to have a doctor’s note stating this which you carry in your car at all times. If you feel you’ve been unfairly given a seat belt ticket, contact an attorney who can help you decide whether to challenge the ticket or simply pay it and wear your seat belt from now on.
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The attorneys at Barrett Law, PLLC serve people throughout Mississippi including: North Mississippi, Jackson, Hattiesburg, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.