Wearing your seatbelt is recommended by Advanced Spine & Rehab.
Despite the fact that seatbelts can severely reduce the odds of a car accident being fatal, over 10 percent of people in the United States report that they still do not buckle up when in the car. While it may be tempting to forego the seatbelt and to rely upon the air bag for protection, the combination of air bags and seatbelts provides the greatest amount of protection. In fact, seatbelts alone were credited with saving 14,000 lives in 2015. Furthermore, seatbelts are credited with reducing crash-related injuries and deaths by about half.
Currently, only 18 states have a primary enforcement seatbelt law in place. A primary enforcement seatbelt law allows a police officer to pull over a vehicle and issue a ticket solely because the driver or a passenger is not wearing a seatbelt. The other 32 states have a secondary enforcement law, which means the police officer can only issue a ticket for a seatbelt when pulling the car over for some other reason. In those states with a primary enforcement seatbelt law, seatbelt use is significantly higher. In 2016, for example, 92 percent of drivers reported wearing their seatbelts in states with a primary enforcement law while only 83 percent reported wearing their seatbelts in states with a secondary enforcement law.
While there are certain injuries that can be sustained from a seatbelt, the research overwhelmingly supports the use of seatbelts. To reduce your chances of becoming injured in a car accident and to significantly reduce your risk of fatal injury, always buckle up when in a moving vehicle. If you are injured in a car accident, contact Advanced Spine & Rehab to explore your treatment options.