We don’t have all of the stats as of now, but 2022 showed signs of being one of the most dangerous years in recent decades when it comes to automobile accident deaths and injuries. Even a responsible defensive driver could be a victim of a crash due to a reckless, drunk, or inexperienced person behind another wheel. After an accident, you may have the ability to bring a lawsuit and recoup some of your medical or automobile fees. But before that time, you need to leave the scene of the accident safe and alive. Your seat belt is still one of the most effective and simple tools you have for staying safe while on the road.
Seatbelt Effectiveness
Florida has a state law that requires seat belts to be worn by vehicle occupants, but the threat of a ticket shouldn’t be the motivating reason for you to buckle up. Simply put, seatbelts consistently prove to be a life-saving device that keeps thousands of people a year from losing their lives in the USA alone. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provides amazing stats to support this assertion. Despite the fact that roughly 90% of drivers use their seatbelts on a regular basis, over 50% of all automobile deaths are from people who were not wearing a seat belt. Of the people who were in a severe crash but wearing a seat belt, it is estimated that over fifteen thousand of these drivers or occupants would have lost their lives if not for the effectiveness of the device.
Seat belts also provide additional protection in non-life-threatening accidents. Airbags are designed to work in conjunction with seatbelts, not replace them. When an airbag deploys, the force is enough to seriously injure or push you out of your seat and into a compromising position. If adequately secured with a seatbelt, the airbag can focus on its primary job of keeping your face from slamming into the wheel or console in front of you. The data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also contends that the risk of serious injury is cut by over 50%, a higher percentage than the reduction in death due to seatbelt use.
Not Wearing A Seatbelt – Dangerous For Multiple Reasons
It is evident that wearing a seatbelt is in the best interest of everyone on the road to keep them safe. Still, wearing your seatbelt is often necessary to receive just and sizeable compensation from a personal injury lawsuit. If you are injured in an accident that was not your fault, you have the legal right to sue the liable party for damages that you incur. However, if the other party can show that your negligence contributed to the seriousness of your injuries, your compensation may be significantly reduced. Typically, an accident victim’s damages will be reduced by a proportionate percentage of liability.
Other legal complications can arise when passengers in your vehicle are injured while not wearing a seatbelt. Anyone can sue you for any reason, and it is best not to allow this possibility. Always stress the importance of wearing a seatbelt to passengers in your vehicle, for their sake and yours.
Wearing a seatbelt is a tried and true method to keep yourself safer on the road than you otherwise would be. Seatbelts will not only physically protect you and your family, but they will also protect your financial settlement should your case go to court. If you have been involved in an auto accident and are looking for help pursuing a settlement, call the attorneys at Probinsky & Cole as soon as possible.
