Lane departure warnings, backup cameras and other technologies are helping drivers avoid accidents and injuries. With so many innovations in the last decade, it’s easy to forget that your vehicle’s most effective safety feature is the seatbelt.
Fortunately, more people are buckling up now than ever before. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 88.5 percent of motorists in the United States wore their seatbelts in 2015. This represents a growth of 1.8 percent from 2014.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, wearing a seatbelt cuts your risk of accident-related death or injuries by nearly half. More than 50 percent of drivers who die in car crashes are not wearing seatbelts at the time of the collision.
Unfortunately, wearing a seatbelt will not make you immune to all accident injuries. If you were in a crash that another driver caused in Georgia, contact the Crosson Law Group, LLC.
A Marietta accident attorney will help you navigate the claims process and avoid mistakes such as accepting a low settlement. Call 678-909-0770 to schedule a free initial consultation. You can also visit USAttorneys.com to learn more about personal injury claims in Georgia.
Here are four reasons why you should always buckle up before starting the engine:
- Your seatbelt can keep you in your car.
The risk of ejection is almost zero if you wear a seatbelt; however, if you don’t buckle up, even a slow-speed collision can throw you from the vehicle. If this happens during a rollover, then the risk of death increases by 800 percent, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
- Your seatbelt can distribute the force of a collision.
Seatbelts that have both shoulder and lap straps can distribute the force of a collision throughout your body. This will prevent the impact from concentrating on one body part – for example, if you do not buckle up and your head hits the steering wheel, you are likely to suffer a traumatic brain injury.
- Your seatbelt will reduce the speed of your body to match the vehicle’s deceleration.
Most accidents involve an abrupt change in speed. This can cause brain damage, a spinal injury or whiplash.
Wearing a seatbelt can reduce your risk of suffering these injuries because the belt will reduce the speed of your body to match that of your vehicle. If you do not buckle up, your body will continue moving forward at the speed of your vehicle before the collision.
- Your seatbelt prevents injuries to the spinal cord and brain.
Because seatbelts keep you in place, the risk of hitting your head and suffering a diffuse axonal, concussion or another brain injury is much lower. A belt with both a shoulder and lap strap can also protect your spinal cord by preventing your vertebrae from overextending after the impact.
If you were injured by a negligent driver in Georgia, contact the Crosson Law Group, LLC. Ken Crosson is a Marietta car accident lawyer who can evaluate your accident, gather evidence, structure your claim and handle settlement negotiations on your behalf. Call 678-909-0770 to schedule a free initial consultation.