Hundreds
of people die in car wrecks every year because they don’t buckle up in the
backseat, according to a new report.
There
were almost 900 deaths in 2013 among kids 8 and older who were in the backseats
and not wearing their seatbelt. According to the Governors Highway Safety
Association (GHSA), more than 400 of them would likely have survived if they
had worn a seatbelt.
Sitting
in the back seat and not wearing a seatbelt makes you about three times more
likely to die in a wreck. Yet 32 states still do not have solid seatbelt laws
for passengers in vehicle back seats.
Just
78 percent of adults who sit in the back seat wear a seatbelt, compared to 87
percent of adults in the front seat. Seatbelt use in fatal car crashes are 60
percent for rear passengers and 74 percent for front passengers, according to
the study.
The
GHSA emphasizes the need to wear your seatbelt regardless of which seat you’re
in. Almost 42 million people in the United States drive 50 miles or more from
home JUST for Thanksgiving. Also around Thanksgiving, there are more than 400
deaths from car accidents.
Seatbelts
are there to protect passengers, and it’s important to use your seatbelt
regardless of whether you are driving or sitting in a rear seat, as is common
for families traveling together around holidays. Many think they are protected
by the seatbacks in front of them when they’re in the back seat, but this is
simply not the case.
Buckle
up in every seat for every trip, no matter how far or near, front or rear.
Convincing adults of this will necessitate a united effort among highway safety
professionals and lawmakers alike. It will save lives, though, and be more than
worthwhile.
According
to the GHSA, seat belt use in states that require use in rear seats is at 83
percent compared to 74 percent in states that do not have such laws.