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why is wearing a seatbelt important
why is wearing a seatbelt important
importance of wearing seat belts essay
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Does everyone have their seat belts on? This is a question that children hear repeated each time their parents start the vehicle. Seat belt laws are enforced in in forty-nine of the fifty states even so; parents reiterate it time after time to keep us safe rather than just following the law. Beginning in the 1930’s, physicians determined that a lap belt should be used in automobiles to avoid serious injury or a fatality. Over the years, the simple two-point lap belt has evolved into a multiple point seat belt used for many different types of driving. Racer car drivers generally use a five-point harness. However, for normal every day driving “the three-point”, lap and shoulder combination “is considered the safest version and is the kind found in most vehicles today” (“Seat Belts”, 2010). Seat belts are the primary prevention of ejected passengers. Opponents argue that wearing seatbelts should be a personal choice, not something enforced by a law. Proponents support the initial theory; it is safer to remain within the confines of the vehicle for increased protection. It is imperative that seat belts laws are enforced to increase seat belt use, decrease motor vehicle injuries and fatalities, in addition, reduce costs in medical expenses and insurance claims from automobile accidents.
To begin with, it is only appropriate that the government would require regulations on automakers to install the safety restraints. “The National HighwayTransportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has recognized for many years that motor vehicle crashes are responsible for ninety percent of all transportation related deaths are caused by highway crashes” (Roeber, 2008). Moreover, state legislation finds it suitable to enforce laws ...
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...onents should be happy to have the choice. They can preserve the lives in their vehicle or take a chance in receiving a ticket. The choice is theirs. I have made my choice, and I choose to be safer than sorry.
Works Cited
Balaker, T. (2008). Seat belt laws are unnecessary. Retrieved from the Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center database.
Higgins, K. (2010). Primary seat belt laws enforcement laws are beneficial. Cars in America. Retrieved from the Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center database.
Roeber. D.E. (2008). Seat belts reduce highway fatalities. Retrieved from the Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center database.
“Seat Belts”. (2010). In Current Issues. Retrieved from the Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center database
Tilton, B. (2010). Seat belt laws are intrusive. Cars in America. Retrieved from the Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center database.
The Editors. (2009). Should texting cellphone use by drivers be illegal?. The New York Times. Retrieved from www.thenewyorktimes.com
It has been determined by the Supreme Court that it is proper to arrest someone for a violation of a seat belt law if it has been violated in the presence of an officer. All 50 states and the District of Columbia have statutes that permit warrantless misdemeanor arrests by at least some peace officers without requiring any breach of the peace. Because The “Click it or Ticket” program in North Carolina has served as a model for the nation and the Presidential Initiative for Increasing safety belt use Nationwide highly recommends that other communities adopt this program it appears as though safety belt laws will continue to exist for years to come.
An enormous division currently exists between the people who believe that automobile safety should be an option and those that feel it must be a requirement. The federal government feels the morally obligated to create the safest driving environment possible. On the other end of the spectrum, opinions exist that the average driver has ability to make the choice of safety on their own. Editorials, political assemblies, debates, and conversations have arrived on the concept of click it or ticket. This idea refers to ticketing any motor vehicle driver and passenger that is not fastened by a seat belt. Arguments have been made for both sides, and have been reviewed in multiple states.
Is there in the world anything more essential than having a new opportunity of life? Although several individuals may possibly think an obligatory use of seat belt is a technique for causing people to feel a prisoner in their own car, putting on a seat belt would make the difference in a car accident. The use of seat belts provides security while driving; shows self-consciousness and has a role in government. That is why, the use of seat belts should be mandatory for drivers.
In 1966, the National Highway Safety Bureau (NHSB) was designed by the Highway Act. NHSB’s director, Dr. William Haddon, noticed that he could prevent motor-vehicle injuries by applying public health methods and epidemiology. Various passages demanded the government to set standards for the highway and motor vehicles. The federal government responded by developing new safety features in cars such as safety belts, head rests, and shatter-resistant windshields. Barriers, reflectors, and center line strips were placed on roadways to provide direction and illumination. Traffic safety laws, wearing a safety belt, and public education encouraged drivers to make safer decisions. The use of safety belts has skyrocketed from 11% in 1981 to 68% in 1997 and decreases When the community and government understood the necessity for motor-vehicle safety, various programs such as Prior to the implementation, the rate stood at 18 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 1925; however, the rate stood at 1.7 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 1997. With all of the new safety features with cars, public education and enforcement of safety laws, “motor-vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of injury-related deaths in the United States.” Over 23.9 million vehicle crashes were reported in 1997; estimated costs were around $200 billion.
Hansen-Bundy, B. (2013, November 2). Why texting-while-driving bans don't work. Mother Jones, Retrieved from http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/10/texting-while-driving-bans-dont-make-a-difference
Current seat belt law originated from federal legislation in the 1960s that made it mandatory for all automobile manufacturers to include seat belts in their vehicles as a standard feature. Originally, the purpose of a seat belt was not to protect the occupants in the case of a crash, but rather to physically keep them in the vehicle, as driving was bumpy business.
Many people may choose not to wear a seatbelt because they don’t understand how and why they work. To begin with seatbelts are the first line of defense one has against an injury in a crash.
These proposed laws will make driving any type of automobile a lot safer, which should be the ultimate goal of any driver getting behind the wheel. Laws being changed or added will obviously save a vast amount of time, money, and lives, however, as long as there are vehicles on the road, there is a chance of accidents occurring. Victims of car accidents are often extremely disoriented so it is important to be aware of what laws are in place to protect victims and know the proper steps to take in the event of a traffic
Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death among those between the ages of 1-54 in the U.S. Seat belts dramatically reduce risk of death and serious injury among drivers and front-seat passengers. Seat belt use is the most effective way to save lives and reduce injuries in crashes. By the end of this speech, the class will agree that wearing your seat belt is important and that seat belts protect drivers and passengers from injury in any type of collision.
We have all heard the excuses before, “do I have to wear it? It isn’t like it’s going to protect me,” “it’s uncomfortable, I’m only going around the corner,” or “I’d rather be thrown out of the vehicle than to be stuck in a seat belt.” No matter how good of a driver you are, or you think you might be, there are always situations that are beyond your control. Such as, bad weather, drunk drivers, and road conditions. Sometimes, seat belts can be a life or death in an automobile accident. Not only is wearing your seat belt every time you get in a vehicle, but it is required by law in 49 states, with the exception of New Hampshire. Although seat belts are known to lock up and wrinkle your clothes, I believe that wearing your seat belt is beneficial because every fourteen seconds someone is injured in a traffic crash. Seat belts are not only known for holding you in place during a collision, but more importantly the are known to save the lives of the occupants in the vehicle.
Using seat belt when driving can help us to prevent death when an accident occurs.
The use of seatbelts can lower traffic related deaths and injuries. Death and injuries caused by the lack of seatbelt use can be avoided. The Center for Disease control has stated that increasing seatbelt use to 100%, 3,000 lives could be saved annually (“Motor Vehicle Crash Fatalities,” 2016). Seatbelts are important and because a large amount of people aren’t using them, people are losing their lives prematurely. In one case, a flight nurse was called to an accident including
Seatbelts have been around since the 1950s and have proven to save lives over the years. The teenage stigma is that they do not need to wear one because they will be fine. After thousands of accidents where the occupants did not wear their seatbelt, the Supreme Court decided to pass some laws. “In 1972, the agency requires dull passive restraints for front seat occupants” (Supreme Court). The agency that the Supreme Court is referring to is the Department of Transportation. This law is a staple in automobile safety and sets a level of precedents for future laws. After this law was passed, the amount of fatalities from traffic incident relating to seat belts usage had dropped. The Supreme Court did not stop there, they continued to add more laws. “...new motor vehicles produced after September 1982 will be equipped with passive restraints to protect the safety of the occupants of the vehicle in the event of a collision” (Supreme Court). Now all new motor vehicles must have a form of passive restraint added to their vehicles before they can sell them to the public. The government hoped to protect more lives of young drivers who did not insist on wearing seat belts by making them mandatory and being enforced by police officers. Since 1972, hundreds of thousands of teenage lives have been saved with this simple safety
Car accidents are the leading cause of death for people under the age of 35. Wearing a seat belt can prevent death in about half of these accidents. Did you know that every 15 seconds someone is injured in an automobile accident if they are not buckled up, or that every 13 minutes someone is killed in a crash. Failure to wear a seat belt contributes to more fatalities than any other single traffic safety related behavior. According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration seatbelts saved nearly 12,000 lives in the United States in the year 2000. The NHTSA estimates that more than 9,000 U.S. car accident fatalities in 2000 would have been avoided if the victims had been wearing seatbelts. Sixty three percent of the people killed in accidents were not wearing seat belts. The NHTSA a...