Coopertown, Tennessee
There are a lot of people that decide not to wear a seat belt when in a moving vehicle. Some of the excuses people give for not wearing a seat belt include:
- “It’s my right to chose whether or not to wear a seat belt.”
- “I’ve heard stories of someone being involved in a crash and the doctor said if they had been wearing a seat belt they would have died.”
- “They’re uncomfortable.”
- “I usually wear it. I just forgot.”
- “It doesn’t fit.”
So given those excuses, why should anyone wear a seat belt? Although wearing a seat belt while in a moving vehicle is the law, there are a number of people that are simply not motivated to do things just because they’re told to do so by law. They may perhaps be persuaded to abide by the law if they had a better understanding of the reasons why wearing a seat belt in a moving vehicle is the law. So why are seat belts so important?
Air Bags
Probably one of the most important reasons to wear a seat belt is to reduce the chances of injury or death. Seat belts do save lives. Vehicles equipped with air bags are designed to have the seat belt and air bag work together to reduce the occupant’s chance of injury or death. When seat belts are not worn, air bags can do more harm than good. Air bags deploy rapidly at speeds around 200 mph or greater. When the occupant is not wearing a seat belt, they cannot be restrained from flying forward toward the rapidly deploying air bag, increasing the chance of putting the occupant in the position to be injured from the air bag while it is deploying. An unrestrained vehicle occupant could suffer from traumatic injuries, such as a broken neck, should they strike the air bag while unrestrained. Imagine being punched in the face at over 200 mph. When the occupant is properly restrained by a seat belt, the air bag has time and room to deploy to prevent the occupant from striking the interior of the vehicle, thus reducing the likelihood of traumatic injuries.
Control of the Vehicle
When a driver is not able to reach the brake pedal, accelerator pedal, and steering wheel, they cannot control the vehicle. Seat belts restrain the driver and keep them behind the wheel of the vehicle. Should the driver take an evasive maneuver to avoid a collision, or should the vehicle be struck just enough to cause the driver to be moved away from the driver’s seat, the driver is no longer in control of the vehicle. Thus, the vehicle could veer into oncoming traffic or strike a pedestrian. Seat belts keep the driver in control of the vehicle. Therefore, seat belts are not only about the safety of the occupant of the vehicle, but other motorists and pedestrians, as well.
Other Occupants of the Vehicle
In the event of a collision or an abrupt evasive maneuver, unrestrained occupants of the vehicle become projectiles inside the vehicle. Unrestrained passengers could strike the driver, rendering the driver incapacitated and unable to control the vehicle. Unrestrained occupants of the vehicle risk receiving or causing other passengers to receive traumatic injuries, to include death, during a collision or abrupt evasive maneuver. Seat belts save the lives of the occupants of the vehicle.
Ejection
Being involved in a motor vehicle collision is traumatic enough just being an occupant inside the vehicle during the crash. Seat belts and air bags are designed to keep the occupants in the vehicle and reduce their injuries in a crash. Unrestrained occupants are at extreme risk of being ejected from the vehicle during a collision. Sometimes unrestrained occupants of vehicles have been ejected from relatively low impact collisions and have suffered traumatic injuries or died because of being thrown from the vehicle. Aside from the injuries sustained from striking the vehicle while being unrestrained, ejected occupants are susceptible to receiving injuries from striking the roadway or other outside objects, not to mention being in danger of having their own vehicle land on them or be struck by other vehicles.
The Traumatic Truth
Law enforcement and First Responders have been called to numerous motor vehicle collisions where occupants either died or suffered life-threatening traumatic injuries due to being an unrestrained occupant. These scenes are often gruesome and extraordinarily unforgettable. Many times, innocent people have lost their lives or suffered traumatic, life-altering injuries as a result of not wearing a seat belt while being involved in an accident they were not at fault for. Roadways are full of drivers making bad decisions, whether speeding, driving impaired, being distracted, or otherwise being inattentive to traffic controls or other hazards. It is important to buckle up and be prepared for the other bad drivers on the road.
Debunking the Excuses
“It’s my right to chose whether or not to wear a seat belt.” – Actually, no it is not. Driving on public roadways is a privilege, not a right. Furthermore, Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA) § 55-9-603 requires drivers and passengers of moving vehicles on public roadways to be secured by a seat belt. As discussed, it is important for not only the driver, but all occupants of a vehicle to be restrained by a seat belt. Not wearing a seat belt could not only affect the occupants of the vehicle, but could affect other motorists or pedestrians should the driver no longer be in control of the vehicle, either due to being knocked unconscious or no longer being behind the wheel of the vehicle.
“I’ve heard stories of someone being involved in a crash and the doctor said if they had been wearing a seat belt they would have died.” – There is always going to be some sensational story or myth like this. Restrained occupants stand a much greater chance of surviving a crash if they are restrained. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were nearly fifteen thousand lives saved by seat belt use in 2017 (NHTSA, n.d.).
“They’re uncomfortable.” – Seat belts are a lot more comfortable than a broken neck or being thrown through a windshield and being run over by another vehicle. Many vehicles have the ability to adjust the seat belt up or down to ensure a more correct and comfortable fit. Additionally, there are devices that can be added to your seat belt that add extra padding for areas that may be uncomfortable when wearing the seat belt.
“I usually wear it. I just forgot.” – That annoying dinging sound you hear when you drive without wearing a seat belt is usually a good reminder. Be in the habit of putting your seat belt on before moving the vehicle.
“It doesn’t fit.” – Years ago, vehicle manufacturers used to offer seat belt extenders at no cost. Although today these devices may not be obtained at no cost, they are relatively inexpensive. Seat belt extenders can provide a better fit for people who find it difficult to securely fasten seat belts.
References
Inside Edition. (2015, May 27). Most backseat passengers don’t know this hidden danger [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xjg99JCYdM
NHTSA. (n.d.). Seat belts. https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/seat-belts#:~:text=Being%20buckled%20up%20during%20a,vehicle%20is%20almost%20always%20deadly.&text=If%20you%20don’t%20wear,injure%20or%20even%20kill%20you.
Seatbeltsr4u. (2009, November 2). Seat belt education video 7 effects of driving without seat belt seen through drive cam [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLb2K_wH9zY
THSO. (2017, April 5). Air bags – click it or ticket [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhVUl3xkhng
USDOTNHTSA. (2015, May 8). Second chance [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L62ueMB0E5E
Use of safety belts in passenger vehicles — Violations — Penalties — Arrest — Applicability, Tn Code Ann. § 55-9-603 (2017). https://advance.lexis.com/documentpage/?pdmfid=1000516&crid=764420e2-3132-403a-bef0-de6c9b3d6c05&nodeid=ACCAAJAAGAAD&nodepath=%2FROOT%2FACC%2FACCAAJ%2FACCAAJAAG%2FACCAAJAAGAAD&level=4&haschildren=&populated=false&title=55-9-603.+Use+of+safety+belts+in+passenger+vehicles+%E2%80%94+Violations+%E2%80%94+Penalties+%E2%80%94+Arrest+%E2%80%94+Applicability.&indicator=true&config=025054JABlOTJjNmIyNi0wYjI0LTRjZGEtYWE5ZC0zNGFhOWNhMjFlNDgKAFBvZENhdGFsb2cDFQ14bX2GfyBTaI9WcPX5&pddocfullpath=%2Fshared%2Fdocument%2Fstatutes-legislation%2Furn%3AcontentItem%3A4X8K-TFT0-R03N-44CF-00008-00&ecomp=vg1_kkk&prid=043e0694-18fd-4e52-9f0c-d41da727c27b
