Buckling up is the most important safety measure you can take to protect yourself in a crash. Seat belts are also the best defense against impaired, aggressive and distracted driving. Seat belts are the cornerstone of your vehicle’s safety engineering. Yet millions of adults do not wear their seat belts on every trip.
Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death among those aged 1-54 in the United States. The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) recently released crash data for 2015 and reported fatalities are the lowest in five years. While this is encouraging news, even one fatality is too many. Of the 131 motor vehicle fatalities, 62 percent were not wearing their seat belt.
Not only is it imperative to buckle yourself up, you are responsible for every passenger in your vehicle. Children are not able to make the decisions for themselves and rely on the adults in the vehicle for their safety. Child seat use in North Dakota, and nationwide, tends to decrease as a child ages. Booster seats are the most underutilized form of restraint for children. North Dakota law requires children to be restrained in either a booster seat or child seat until they are 7 years old or reach 4’9” and 80 lbs. All occupants under the age of 18 are required to wear a seatbelt. If you need help installing your child seat, visit a car seat checkup in your area.
Personal responsibility by the motoring public will significantly reduce motor vehicle fatalities on North Dakota roads by wearing your seat belt, designating a sober driver and slowing down. Use a seat belt on every trip, no matter how short and require everyone in the car to buckle up.