Backseat Riders Need to Buckle-Up

Studies show backseat passengers often fail to use a seatbelt, putting them in grave danger in the event of a crash.

The Department of Transportation reports that people not wearing a seat belt are 30 times more likely to be thrown from a vehicle in the event of a crash. Greater than three out of four people ejected from a vehicle are fatally injured. Additionally, a 2016 Governors Highway Safety Association report showed that backseat passengers were there times more likely to die in a crash if they were not wearing a seatbelt. With these types of statistics in place, it is surprising to find that the Department of Transportation has data showing that 20 percent of backseat passengers do not buckle up.

A study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that rear passengers without a seat belt not only pose a serious risk to their own safety, but to that of others as well. The study found that rear passengers can become the equivalent of human missiles in a crash and cause substantial injury to those seated in the front of the vehicle. An unbelted rear passenger can slam into a front seat upon impact, pushing a front seated passenger into the airbag, and, if on the driver’s side, directly into the steering column.

Despite all of the findings that being unbelted as a rear passenger in a vehicle being just as dangerous as being unbelted as a front seated passenger in a vehicle, a 2016 IIHS survey made the following findings:

• Of the 1,172 survey respondents, only 72% said they always used a seat belt when being a rear seated passenger. 91% said they always used a seat belt when being a font seated passenger.
• Four out of ten survey respondents aid they sometimes do not use their seat belt in a rear seat because there is no law requiring them to do so.
• If there was a law in place requiring rear seat belt use, six out of ten respondents said they would comply.

Every state, except New Hampshire, and the District of Columbia mandate adults using seat belts when seated in the front of a vehicle. Only 29 states require rear seated passengers to use seat belts. Texas is one such state. Texas law requires all drivers and all passengers to buckle-up. Failing to do so can result in fines between $25 and $250 plus court costs.

Being in a car accident can lead to devastating injuries. Take every safety precaution you can to help keep you and your passengers safe. Buckle up no matter where you are seated in the vehicle. If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident, contact Lovett Law Firm right away. Attorney Rob Lovett is here to tirelessly pursue full and fair compensation for those injuries sustained due to the negligence of someone else.