Always Wear Your Seatbelt

There are plenty of reasons why doing so is important. Read on to find out more about seatbelt safety and how you can pledge to drive friendly and arrive safely. 

Why is it Important to Wear Your Seatbelt?

Wearing your seatbelt while in a moving vehicle is incredibly important to keep you safe and free of harm. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), wearing a seatbelt keeps you secure inside a vehicle. If you are ejected because you’re not wearing a seatbelt, it is very probable that you will not survive.

Furthermore, a lot of people think that they don’t need to wear a seatbelt because the airbags in their car will keep them safe. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Airbags are designed to work with seatbelts, not as a substitute for them.

Seatbelt Statistics

Here are some hard facts and numbers on seatbelt use in the United States:

• Among passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2019, almost half (47%) were unrestrained.
• For those passenger vehicle occupants who survived fatal crashes in 2019, only 14 percent were unrestrained, compared to 47 percent of those who died.
• Seatbelts saved an estimated 14,955 lives in 2017.
• In 2020, the national use rate of seatbelts was 90.3%.
• If you wear your seatbelt in the front seat of a passenger car, you can reduce your risk of moderate to critical injury by 50%.

5 Benefits of Wearing a Seatbelt

Dedicating yourself to safety by wearing a seatbelt is beneficial not only to you but to other passengers in the car as well. Here are 5 benefits to wearing a seatbelt:

1. You won’t receive a ticket or fine for not wearing a seatbelt.
2. If you get in an accident and aren’t wearing a seatbelt, your auto insurance company can refuse to cover any damages. Wearing a seatbelt prevents them from being able to do this.
3. Wearing your seatbelt will encourage everyone else in the car to wear one as well, making all passengers safer.
4. A seatbelt will keep your body in place if your car begins to slip or skid, making it easier for you to take control of the wheel.
5. Wearing a seatbelt definitively decreases your risk of serious injury and death.

When Should You Wear a Seatbelt?

Regardless of whether it is against the law in your state or not, you should always wear a seatbelt when you are in a motor vehicle that is in motion. Even if you are in the backseat of a passenger car, wearing a seatbelt is important as it can stop your body from flying forward and doing any harm to the person sitting in front of you. As has been established in this post, wearing a seatbelt is incredibly safe and beneficial.

What Is The Proper Way to Wear a Seatbelt?

It is surprising that a lot of people do not wear their seatbelts correctly when in the car. To wear your seatbelt the proper way, here are some things to keep in mind:

• Never put the shoulder belt under your arm or behind your back.
• The lap belt should rest across your hips, not on your stomach.
• Adjust the shoulder belt so that it runs across the middle of your chest, not near your neck.

Sign the Pledge to Drive Friendly and Arrive Safely Today

If you feel convinced that wearing a seatbelt is important, safe, and necessary and would like to sign the pledge to wear your seatbelt, sign our pledge today. You’ll be joining thousands of other people who want to Drive Friendly and Arrive Safely.