Seat Belts Save Lives in Florida Car Accidents – Just Check the Facts

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released some good news about seat belt usage among the American public. According to the Traffic Safety Facts: Set Belt Use in 2009 – Overall Results, seat belt use reached 84 percent, which is even higher than 2008 that had an overall use of 83 percent.

These figures were gathered by the National Occupant Protection Use Survey, which is the only probability-based observed data on seat belt use in the country. According to the research, seat belt use has been consistently going up since 1994. At the same time, the number of fatalities among passengers not buckled up during the daytime hours has steadily declined.

The NHTSA report stated that seat belt use appears to be higher in states that allow officers to pull over vehicles for the sole reason of not wearing seat belts. Seat belt usage among the states with weaker laws is lower.

Buckling up is an activity that takes only seconds, but can mean the difference between life and death. Whenever you are traveling in a car, it is crucial that you take the time to secure your seat belt and ensure that the other occupants are also restrained.

A Florida car accident can be devastating and when the people involved are not wearing seat belts, the outcome is usually deadly. There are often stories in the newspapers and on television of occupants being ejected during rollover accidents or fatally injured in car crashes. It makes you wonder how many more lives could be spared if everyone buckled up.

If you have been injured in an auto accident caused by the other driver, you may be able to recover compensation. In a Florida auto accident case, you could be entitled to compensation for lost income, medical expenses, pain and suffering and other damages associated with your injuries. For more information, contact an experienced St. Petersburg car accident lawyer at the Law Office of William K. Saron for legal advice at (727) 345-4566 or (866) 836-4947.