California Personal Injury Lawyers - Bakersfield Personal Injury Attorneys - Chain, Younger, Cohn & Stiles

JANUARY 2004


Why Wear Seatbelts?
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Car Seat Safety
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WHY WEAR SEATBELTS?

Most states now have laws requiring drivers and passengers of a motor vehicle to wear seatbelts or pay a large price. Sadly, many people still resist wearing seatbelts and pay an even larger price - their lives! Tragic stories were abound in 2003 of Kern County residents dying simply because they were not wearing a seatbelt. The California Highway Patrol estimates that 90 percent of road travelers wear seatbelts. However, more than 60 percent of the victims in fatal automobile accidents in Kern County in 2003 were not wearing seatbelts.

Not only are seatbelts the most effective means of saving lives and reducing serious injury in traffic accidents, it is also the law in California. Beginning January 1st, the fine for the first time offense jumped to $41.00 and subsequent violations to $106.00.

Please take a moment to consider the following statistics:
  • Seatbelts save an estimated 9,500 lives in America each year.
  • Automobile accidents are the leading cause of death to children in America. Each year in the United States, approximately 1,800 children, ages 14 and under, are killed as occupants in motor vehicles and more than 280,000 are injured.
  • Three out of five people killed in an automobile accident would have survived their injuries had they been wearing their seatbelts.
  • Every 12 seconds, someone is killed in a traffic accident.
  • Lap/shoulder belts, when used properly, reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passengers by 45 percent and the risk of moderate-to-critical injury by 50 percent.
  • Seatbelt usage saves society an estimated $50 billion annually in injury-related costs.
  • Seatbelt nonuse accounts for an estimated $26 billion in economic costs.
  • Teens have the highest fatality rate in motor vehicle accidents than any other age group primarily because they have lower seatbelt use rates than adults do.
Life Saving Advice
  • Always wear your seatbelt, and insist that your passengers do the same.
  • Seatbelts help prevent internal injuries by spreading the force of a collision across the pelvis and upper chest. To ensure the proper distribution of force, the lap belt should be positioned across the upper thighs and the diagonal belt across the chest.
  • Never slip the diagonal belt behind your body. The lap belt alone cannot prevent you from being thrown forward and out of the vehicle.
  • Make sure your belt fits snugly against your body. If it is too loose, you could be injured by being thrown against the belt itself.
  • If your seatbelts do not seem to operate correctly, or you cannot adequately adjust them, return the car to a dealership or qualified repair shop for assistance.
  • If your vehicle is fitted only with lap belts (pre-1974 models), contact a dealership for an upgrade to a three-point harness.
  • Air bags are designed to work with seatbelts, not alone. Therefore, seatbelts should always be worn.
Laziness, complacency, ignorance, and lack of responsibility are all reasons unrestrained drivers and passengers are dying in traffic accidents. When all is said and done, it pays to remember that seatbelts were designed with your safety in mind. Seatbelts can make the difference between life and death if you or your loved ones are involved in an automobile accident. Use your seatbelt. The life you save may be your own.
-David Cohn



HOT TOPICS

Car Seat Safety

California's car seat law requires that children use a child safety restraint system until they are either 6 years old or 60 pounds. It's also important that your car seat be installed properly to insure that your child is fully protected. Sadly, an estimated 90% of child restraints are used incorrectly.

Call the manufacturer to check recalls or check online at www.NHTSA.DOT.gov.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends using a booster seat until the child is 8 years old, 80 pounds, and 4' 9" tall. If your child is NOT riding in a booster seat, try this 5-Step Test:

    1. Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?
    2. Does the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?
    3. Is the lap belt below the tummy, touching the thighs?
    4. Is the shoulder belt centered on the shoulder and chest?
    5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
If you answered "no" to any of these questions, your child needs a booster seat to ride safely in the car.

Contact your local California Highway Patrol office for fitting station appointments.



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