Modern seat belts are perhaps the most important invention in the history of the automobile industry. Despite how simple they may seem to be, seatbelts drastically reduce the risk of death and serious injury by keeping you and your passengers secured to a car’s interior. Considering how important they are, it’s quite disappointing that most people know close to nothing about seat belts. And while we’ve already discussed key seat belt safety statistics and facts, there is always more to learn when it comes to seat belts. If this is something that you want to learn more about, read on as we talk about everything you need to know about seat belt safety.
Seat Belt Usage
Before we mention anything else, it’s important to note that seat belt usage has been up across the nation. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration details that the seat belt usage rate is at 90%. This has resulted in countless lives being saved, as the mere act of wearing your seat belt properly will drastically increase your chances of survival in the case of a serious accident.
Factors That Affect Seat Belt Usage
Many of you may not know this but there are certain factors that affect seat belt usage. These factors help explain the trends in seat belt usage and will help you be more aware of your own seat belt usage:
- Time of Day: The time of day significantly affects seat belt usage. For the most part, people tend to utilize their seat belts more during the daytime. This is doubly true during rush hour. This has led to an overall decrease in daytime car accident-related fatalities.
- Weather: More people tend to wear their seat belts when hit with bad weather. Indeed, driving in rain or on an icy road leads to an overall increase in seat belt usage.
- Laws: Unsurprisingly, the law plays a major role when it comes to seat belt usage. Due to the legal consequences attached to not wearing a seat belt, most people are motivated to wear their seat belts whenever they are in a car.
Dangers of Not Using a Seat Belt
Not wearing a seat belt can have some pretty disastrous consequences when you consider the frequency in which deaths and injuries occur. In fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention highlights that over 22,000 drivers and passengers die in motor vehicle accidents. To add to this, over 2.2 million drivers and passengers are treated for serious injuries due to crashes each year. If you’re looking to protect yourself while you’re on the road, the least you can do is to wear a seat belt.
Conclusion
We hope this article proves to be useful when it comes to furthering your understanding of seat belts and how they work. With that being said, we’ve only scratched the surface of everything you need to know about seat belts. Be sure to check the site for part three so you can learn more about seat belts. If you need a quick refresher, feel free to look back on the first article we’ve done on this subject.
If you want to learn more about seat belts or are in need of seat belt repair services, contact Safety Restore now to find a compatible service for your car! We’re a world leader in post-accident restorations specializing in seat belts and airbag modules. For more information on what we can do for you, visit our website today!
