Seat Belt Usage Safety

Seat Belt Usage

A Few Reasons to Buckle Up

Protect Yourself with Seat Belts

When you get into your car, truck or van, do you buckle up?  If not, it may be because you’ve been led astray by common misinformation about seatbelts?  Here are the answers to some of the questions that people most often ask about seat belts:

  1. What difference will a seat belt make in a serious crash?

It could spell the difference between life and death.  Your chances of surviving a serious crash are three to four times greater if you’re wearing a lap and shoulder belt, regardless of the speed.

  1. Won’t people be offended if I ask them to wear seat belts?

Studies show that most people are glad to use safety belts when a driver asks them.

  1. Why should I wear a seat belt on short trips at low speeds?

That’s statistically when most crashes happen. Some statistics show that eighty percent of deaths and injuries happen at speeds under 40 MPH.  Seventy five percent of deaths and injuries occur less than 25 miles from home..

  1. If airbags are in a vehicle, do I still need to buckle the seat belt?

Yes.  Air bags are not a substitute for seat belts.  They are meant to be used together.  Since airbags offer protection in frontal crashes only, seat belts are needed to protect in rear, side and rollover crashes.

JJ White has a seat belt policy.  This policy states that seatbelts are mandatory for all company vehicles.  This should be true for any one driving their own vehicle for company business as well — remember it will be your Workers’ Compensation Insurance that will have to pay for any injuries to your employees while driving for company business.