Is it really necessary to wear a seatbelt?

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By: Taranjit | Last Updated: December 2020

Yes. 100% necessary. Seat belts were added as a safety feature for a reason. They have saved so many lives and are the best defense against drunk drivers. In fact, by wearing a seat belt correctly, specifically in the front seat, you reduce your chances of a fatal injury by 45%. Now isn’t that nice?

Anything that keeps you safe and reduces your chances of being injury in an accident is an amazing feature, in my opinion. Seat belts saved 14,995 lives (in 2017) and it could have saved about 2500 more people if they had actually worn their seat belt. If that is not enough to convince you to wear your seat belt , maybe this stat will put it more into perspective. In 2017, of the 37, 133 people that were killed in an accident, a little less than half (~47%) were NOT wearing their seat belts. Imagine if majority have worn seat belts, then even less would have died.

What are the consequences of not wearing a seat belt?

Okay. Still not convinced? Let’s dive into the cons of not wearing a seat belt.

The purpose of a seat belt is to act as a safety feature in order to reduce or minimize injury (and hopefully save your life) to the occupants during an accident. Not wearing a seat belt increases your chances of being ejected from your car during an accident, and that heavily increases your chances of severe injuries or worse death.

Some may argue, cars have airbags and that is enough to keep me safe. No. Not at all. Just airbags alone are not enough to protect you during a crash. Airbags are a wonderful safety feature, but they work best when paired with using a seat belt. By not wearing your seat belt when an airbag is activated, you can severely injury or even kill yourself from the impact of hitting the airbag, an impact force that could have been reduced or minimized by simply wearing a seat belt.

Improperly using a seat belt is also not doing you much good. I see way too many people who find seat belts annoying and buckle up, but put the strap that goes across their body behind their arm. This is not helping you at all and puts you a higher risk for injury during an accident. If your seat belt is bothersome, the belt may not be the right fit for you. Look into finding a seat belt that better fits you, after all, your life is on the line.

What are the benefits of buckling up?

If the above consequences were not enough to make you realize how using seat belts is beneficial, well then, here’s some more information.

Buckling up helps protect you during a crash. It’s as simple as that. It helps prevent you from flying straight through your windshield (because that wouldn’t be pretty) or slamming into your inflated airbag (ouch!).

Did you know that if you buckle up and you are in either of the seats in the front of the car, you can reduce your risk of a fatal injury by 45% and a moderate to critical injury by 50%?

Your life is priceless and irreplaceable, hence why it is important to do whatever you need to do to keep yourself safe and increase your chances of going home that day to your loved ones.

Final thoughts:

Wearing a seat belt is a law in many states, and even if it is not a law in your state, you should still do it. After all, it is your life that is on the line. I am sure you, and your loved ones, want to make it home in one piece. So take the necessary precautions to keep yourself safe while on the road. It is non-negotiable.