The Importance of Wearing a Seatbelt

Wearing a seatbelt is a common-sense action that passengers and drivers alike should do every time they are in a car. It has statistically been proven that wearing a seatbelt increases the safety and well-being of all car occupants. No trip, even quick errands, should be done without wearing a seatbelt. Any time you are in a car you are at risk of an accident.

Seatbelt Safety Statistics

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a government organization that studies, educates, and develops standards for safe roadways in the Country has some supporting statistics about how important seatbelts are:

• There were over 35,000 people killed in the country in car crashes in 2017 and 47 percent of those individuals who lost their lives weren’t wearing a seatbelt.
•  In 2017 almost 15,000 lives were saved as a result of wearing a seatbelt
• Males are the most affected by car accidents. In 2017 51 percent were killed as a result of injuries sustained from not wearing a seatbelt.
• If you wear a seatbelt as a driver or in the front seat you can reduce your risk of fatality by 45 percent. Seatbelt use for those who sit in the front seat reduces serious, disabling injuries by 50 percent. 
• For trucks, seatbelt use can reduce fatal injury by 60 percent and debilitating injury by 65 percent.

In recent years, manufacturers have put the research and time into finding safer designs for cars. Technology and interest in safe passenger vehicles make today’s cars some of the most secure we have ever seen. Even though there have been advances in passenger vehicle safety design and equipment, that doesn’t mean that you will be immune from injury or death in a car accident. 

Airbags, crumple zones, and seatbelts are all meant to be a combined effort for safety. It is not only best for your wellbeing that you utilize the safety practices including driving safely and wearing a seatbelt in conjunction with the safety features of your car to reduce injuries and death but also to help you gain the most compensation in a personal injury claim.

Seatbelt Use And Personal Injury Compensation

In Arizona, comparative negligence is the system we use. That means that there is a percentage of liability assigned to all parties. If you hold less than 50 percent of liability you will be able to obtain compensation. If your injuries were worsened by not wearing a seatbelt, the amount of compensation you receive is likely to be reduced. Even if you weren’t at any fault for the accident, it can be argued that the severity of your injuries is contributed to not wearing a seatbelt.

It Is The Law To Wear A Seatbelt In Arizona

Those who don’t wear a seatbelt often have several bogus reasons why they don’t. They say they forget to, or it is inconvenient, or uncomfortable. The truth is that if you aren’t wearing a seatbelt no matter what your excuse, you violate the law if you are sitting in the front seat. Only those occupants who sit in the back seat and are over the age of 16 have flexibility within the law to not wear a buckle according to the state of Arizona.

It just makes sense to wear a seatbelt for so many reasons. If you were injured in an accident that was not your fault, you have the right to pursue compensation for your losses. The Phoenix serious injury attorneys at ELG can advise you on how to move forward with building a successful claim to obtain the highest amount of compensation for your damages. 

Those who obtain legal representation from a Phoenix car accident attorney have a greater chance of obtaining the most compensation. You deserve to obtain a fair settlement, call the attorneys at ELG today and set up a free consultation. We are here to discuss your accident experience at either our Phoenix or Mesa personal injury law offices at 623-562-3838.