Getting ready to “spring forward” this Sunday? Springing forward to gain an hour of extra daylight is great, but if you are behind the wheel you want to make sure everyone in your vehicle stays firmly planted in their seat by making sure they buckle up, every trip, every seat. As a driver, a seat belt will help keep you in the correct position to control your vehicle should you run into something unexpected. Quick maneuvers to avoid an animal or debris on the road can make you shift in your seat if you’re not buckled up. This shift can cause you to lose control of the vehicle and potentially crash.
In a crash, a seat belt holds everyone in the vehicle in place and keeps them from bouncing around. Staying in your seat will not only protect you but also everyone riding with you. Even a fender-bender can move you around in the vehicle if you’re not secured, which could cause severe injuries or even ejection from the vehicle.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that using lap and shoulder seat belts reduces the risk of:
- Front seat driver and passenger deaths by 45 percent.
- Front seat driver and passenger moderate to critical injuries by 50 percent.
- Front seat light truck occupant deaths by 60 percent.
There were two guys… https://youtu.be/mDoR0WEU-x4?si=DGVf-5a0DNgzY_df
So far in 2024 in Iowa, 38 people have been killed in traffic crashes. That’s an increase of 10 since last Friday. In Iowa in 2023, there were 376 traffic-related deaths. To see statistics published daily by the Office of Driver Services, go to the daily fatality report at https://www.iowadot.gov/mvd/stats/daily.pdf