Why are Seat Belts the Most Effective Safety Device in 2023?

Before we discuss the answer to todays blog, let’s look into a very unfortunate case in our metroplex just this past weekend involving two teenage victims.

 

Rollover Car Accident in Iron County

On Friday July 7th, five people were driving a Honda Civic on I-15 towards St. George for a weekend vacation, when they lost control of the vehicle causing a roll over accident. According to KSL.com News, the vehicle veered off the road, and rolled over multiple times before coming to a stop.

The two front seat passengers both suffered critical injuries and were flown to a local hospital. It is still questionable whether they were restrained or not. Another female passenger suffered more mild injuries and was taken to the hospital via ambulance.

Unfortunately, the other two teenage passengers passed away in the crash. One of the victims was ejected from the vehicle, possibly not wearing a seat belt and died on impact.

Police are still thoroughly investigating the accident, but they believe excessive speed and lack of seat belt use are the main contributors of the accident and fatal injuries.

Sending condolences to the poor families for such a big loss.  For more information on the accident and to reach the victims GoFundMe page, please click either of these news links Cedar City News and KSL.com News for more information.

Utah’s Law to Save Lives

Since May 12th, 2015, Utah’s seat belt law has become a primary enforcement law, meaning anyone can be pulled over and ticketed if not wearing a seat belt. In the past, tickets for not wearing a seat belt could only be issued if the individual was stopped for another reason.

This law applies to anyone over the age of 8. Younger than 8 a child must be in a car or booster seat.

The fine for not wearing a seat belt stands at $45 as per Utah Department of Public Safety.

 

Alarming Statistics for Not Wearing a Seat Belt

1. In an accident, a driver not wearing a seat belt can be projected from the vehicle, as seen in the unfortunate case we discussed earlier.
   1. This projectile mechanism increases the risk of injuring or killing the unrestrained passenger by 75%! This means 3 out of every 4 people who are ejected will die from their severe injuries.
   2. Additionally, if the unbuckled passenger projects from the vehicle, there is a 40% increase in the risk of hurting and killing another driver or passenger in the vehicle.
2. In Utah, since 2018, nearly 50% of all the drivers and passengers who were not restrained died in a car accident. That is an alarming one of every two people who pass away from an accident.
3. Regarding our children, they do what you do.
   1. When the driver is not wearing a seat belt, 76% of children also are not buckled.
   2. When the driver is wearing a seat belt, 87% of children are; therefore preventing major injuries and possible deaths.
4. All these statistics came from the Utah Department of Public Safety.

 

What was the Seat Belt Use in Utah in 2021?

Since 1986, the Utah Department of Public Safety has conducted a seat belt observational study to analyze the percentage of drivers and passengers who buckle or don’t buckle up.

Back in 1986, only 18% of Utah’s motorists wore a seatbelt.

In 2021, Utah motorist scored in the 88.2% percentile for being restrained.

Other stats to note is women tend to be more seat belt prone than their male counterpart; with women scoring 90.0% vs men scoring 86%.

Truck occupants had the lowest seat belt usage at 82%, while vans had the highest at 92%.

Sometimes we may ask whether this percentage changes in rural areas versus urban. However, according to the research, the percentages remain roughly the same.

I encourage everyone to dig deeper into these statistics and research study by visiting 2021 Utah Seat Belt Use Survey

 

Buckle Up

One thing to take away from today’s blog is accidents can happen to anyone and chances are you or someone you know has been involved in a minor or major accident. So always remember to wear a seat belt, to avoid injuring yourself or others in the vehicle with you. Also always set a good example for your children, so they grow up learning of the importance of buckling up the moment they get in their car.

 

Contact Us at Symco Injury Law Firm

If you are involved in any motorcycle accident case that causes bodily harm to yourself or others, please don’t hesitate to call us or text us at 801-738-9999 or visit us via our website Symco Injury Law Contact Info. We also have a 24/7 chat box on our site as well for your convenience. And if you simply have any questions on anything discussed today, we are always happy to answer them.

Drive safe out there!