BUCKLE UP!!!
There are so many reasons to buckle up, yet many people still do not wear their seat belts. Not only is it a law to wear a seat belt, a simple click of a seat belt can save lives. To find out more about the legalities of buckling up, click here. Hopefully, after checking out this page and finding out the many reasons everyone should wear their seat belt, many more will BUCKLE UP!!!
| Photo taken from http://www.roadtripamerica.com. Click here to visit the web site to learn more about the importance of wearing your seat belt and other useful tips to become a better defensive driver! |  |
Here are some very important statistics that might help you remember to BUCKLE UP!
- Of the 31,910 vehicle occupants killed in crashes in 2001, 60 percent were not wearing a safety belt. [The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Annual Assessment of Motor Vehicle Crashes, 2001]
- Safety belts saved 13,274 lives in 2001, and if all vehicle occupants over age 4 had been wearing safety belts, 7,334 more lives could have been saved, NHTSA estimates. [NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts Overview, 2001]
- In fatal crashes, 75 percent of all passenger car occupants who were totally ejected were killed. Only 1 percent of those occupants had been using a safety belt. [NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts Overview, 2001]
- In 2000, the economic cost to society was more than $977,000 for each crash fatality and an average of $1.1 million for each critically injured person. [NHTSA, Economic Impact of Crashes, 2002]
- In 2001, 64 percent of all 18- to 34-year-old passenger vehicle occupants who were killed or severely injured in crashes were not wearing safety belts. By comparison, among vehicle occupants age 35 and older who were killed or severely injured in crashes, 48 percent were not buckled up. [Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2001 Annual Report File (ARF)]
More statistics on seat belt safety can be found at the Buckle up America Web site!
As you can see by this last statistic indicated in red, unfortunately, this issue of buckling up does affect those of the college age, and it affects those of the college age more than those older than the normal college age.
One of Texas Tech's own passed away this summer in a car accident. She was not wearing her seat belt. On Saturday, November 18, Megan Howard's sorority sisters will be hosting a memorial run, on Tech campus, in her honor and to make people aware of seat belt safety. If you would like to run or walk for this cause, the entry fee is $20. To obtain more information or an entry form, you can e-mail Maddie Harris at m.harris@ttu.edu.
Many other teens in the community have also passed away in car accidents. Some were wearing their seat belts, and others were not. To find out more about these local accidents visit Newschannel 11's site.
Also, check out this chart showing the number of fatalities due to not wearing a seat belt. Thousands dying each year is too many when it can be prevented.
If you would like to educate yourself even more about seat belt safety, there is a seat belt course at Hub City Driving School here in Lubbock. Click here to find out more about this life saving course.