Can you prevent one of the leading causes of death in the U.S.?
Yes, and it’s easy: Buckle your seat belt. By clicking in before you drive or ride, you can greatly reduce your chances of a severe or fatal injury—plus, in 49 states, it’s the law.
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Seat belts save more than 15,000 lives each year.
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In a collision with another vehicle, injuries can be greatly reduced by wearing a lap and shoulder belt. Buckling up helps spread the force over the entire body, lessening the impact of the blow.
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By buckling up, you’re secured in a crash rather than thrown outside of the vehicle, which would be four times as likely to result in your death.
- Slamming on the brakes, a sudden acceleration or an abrupt stop—any sudden change in speed can lead to an accident. A seat belt keeps you in one place when this happens and helps reduce your risk of injury.
- A seat belt keeps the strongest parts of your body (shoulders and hips) in place in a crash and helps protect your most vulnerable parts (head and spinal cord) from serious injury.
- A loose seat belt can’t do its job if you are in a crash. Make sure your seat belt fits snugly across your hips and securely across your chest and shoulders.
- About the back seat: The middle seat in the back is the safest, children age 12 and younger should ride in the back, and everyone in the backseat needs to buckle up.