Teens in the Driver Seat

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Low Safety Belt Use

TDS RisksSeat belt use continues to be lowest among back seat passengers.  

The problem of low safety belt use:

  • A safety belt does not protect you when it’s not worn properly.1
  • You can be ticketed for not wearing a safety belt – even if you are sitting in the back seat. If you are in a state that does not have a primary seat belt law (police can’t pull you over just for not wearing a seat belt) check to verify if there is a law that requires anyone under the age of 18 to be buckled up. Visit here for more seat belt laws.
  • Seat belts saved an estimated 14,955 lives in 2017 and an additional 2,549 lives could have been saved with 100% seatbelt use.2
  • The majority of teenagers involved in a fatal crash were not wearing a seat belt, including drivers and passengers.1
  • In 2021, 51% of teen drivers who died were unbuckled. Even more troubling, when the teen driver involved in the fatal crash was unbuckled, 9 out of 10 of the passengers who died were also unbuckled.3
  • In 2021 fatal crashes, teen drivers were more likely to be buckled up than teen passengers (36% vs 48%).4 Overall, passengers have lower rates of seat belt use for all ages.2

Why and how to wear safety belts:proper_seatbelt

  • When referring to safety belts, “properly worn” means with both straps snugly fitted to transfer the impact of the collision to the parts of your body that can take it – your hipbones and shoulder bones. With just the shoulder strap on, you can slide out from under the seat belt and be strangled, while the lap belt alone doesn’t keep your face from hitting the steering wheel.5
  • A safety belt is your best and last protection if you are in a crash.
  • During a crash, being buckled up helps keep you safe and secure inside your vehicle. Being thrown out of a vehicle is almost always deadly.1
  • Airbags are designed to work with safety belts, not replace them. In fact, if you don’t wear your seat belt, you could be thrown into an opening airbag and be injured or even killed.6 An air bag increases the effectiveness of a seat belt by 40%.5
  • Get in the habit of always putting your safety belt on every time you get into a vehicle. No matter where you are sitting or the distance you are going.
  • Ask your passengers to buckle up also. You are responsible for their safety.

Sources:

  1. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Traffic Safety Facts, Occupant Protection in Passenger Vehicles, 2017, https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/seat-belts
  2. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, https://www.iihs.org/topics/seat-belts
  3. NHTSA, https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/teen-driving
  4. NHTSA FARS Data, 2021
  5. Northwestern State University, https://www.nsula.edu/documentprovider/docs/389/Seatbelts-why-u-should-use-them.pdf
  6. Safety Restore, https://www.safetyrestore.com/blog/will-airbag-work-without-seat-belt/

Updated: August 2023