You might have already seen television commercials for it, and now the “Click it Or Ticket” campaign is in full swing. The annual crackdown on seatbelt safety runs May 21 to June 3. In the last five years, the campaign resulted in over 3 million citations to drivers without seatbelts, according to the campaign’s official website.
Believe it or not, there are some drivers who do not feel the need to wear a seatbelt. We thought we would put to rest some popular myths surrounding seatbelt safety.
You do not need a seatbelt if your car has an airbag. False
Air bags protect buckled occupants and they can actually cause injury and death if they deploy on an unrestrained driver or passenger.
Seatbelts are only necessary for long distance trips. False
Most fatal car accidents occur within 25 miles of the victim’s home and at less than 40 mph. Seatbelts are necessary on all types of trips.
If you are in a truck or SUV, you do not need to wear a seatbelt because larger vehicles are safer. False
Seatbelts reduce the risk of injury and death by 60 percent for SUV, pickup and van occupants and drivers.
In Louisiana, all occupants of a vehicle must wear seatbelts. Save yourself the money from a citation and increase the chances of saving your life by wearing your seatbelt.
Harrell & Nowak, L.L.C. – New Orleans accident lawyers