Saving Facts About Seatbelts

Protection

Seat belts are designed to restrain people from hitting hard interior surfaces of a vehicle and being thrown from a car during an accident.

Teens and Young Adults

The main groups of people not wearing seat belts are teens and young adults, especially males aged 18 to 34.

Cost to the Public

Car crash victims who were not wearing a seat belt may have more hospital bills than a victim who wore a seat belt. These costs are passed on to taxpayers who then pay more taxes and higher health insurance premiums.

Laws

Many states have seat belt laws. Some states have primary and secondary enforcement laws. Primary enforcement laws allow police officers to ticket non-belt users when they see a violation of the seat belt law. Secondary enforcement laws allow police to ticket for non-belt use only after they have stopped a vehicle for another traffic violation.

Considerations

Adults who often wear seat belts are more likely to have their children wearing seat belts. In states with primary enforcement laws, seat belt usage is much higher.