Do Seatbelts Save Lives
According to the US Department of Transportation 2009 report titled “Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemGeneral Estimates System2009 DATA SUMMARY”267,890lives have been saved from 1975 through 2009, due to the use of seatbelts.
In addition, if seatbelts had been used by 100% of the drivers and passengers during the same time period, an additional 363,552 lives could have been saved.
That means that 267,890 people have lived longer and useful lives because they used a seatbelt. The figure includes parents, children, grandparents and friends of anyone that is reading this statement. Alternatively, 363,552 of the people who have died in that time period could have lived longer lives.
Both independent traffic safety experts and experts from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have estimated that the use of a seatbelt reduces the chance of death in a crash by approximately 45%.
Seatbelts save lives, but they must be used.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that use of seat belts have increased from a low of 11% in 1981 to close to70%in present times. It was estimated that in 1977, 130 lives a day were lost in traffic fatalities. In 2009, the figure has been reduced to 90 lives per day. This approximate 31% decrease of deaths from traffic accidents has been mainly attributed to the increased use of seatbelts.
NHTSA reports that of the approximately31,000people killed in traffic accidents during 2010, 51% were not wearing seatbelts. The figure increases to 61% for traffic accident fatalities during the night hours. It is suspected that many of the nighttime fatalities are young people under the age of 35 who are generally considered to be driving more in the night hours than other population age groups.
CDC research confirms that adults in the age range of 18-to 34 are the lowest users of seatbelts.
Manufacturers have built cars with buzzers that sound if the vehicle is driven without the driver or passengers wearing a seatbelt. Dashboard lights also remain lit until the belts have been fastened.
Local and state governments have passed laws that require the use of seatbelts in moving vehicles.
Mandatory laws that require the use of seatbelts have helped reduced traffic fatalities, but the laws are either primary or secondary. A primary law allows police to stop a vehicle if it is seen that a seatbelt is not being used. A secondary law allows a summons to be issued for the non wearing of a seatbelt only if the vehicle has been stopped for another reason.
Studies have shown that both types of laws increase the use of seatbelts. Primary laws have almost the double the percentage of increase than a secondary law.
