Seat Belts Save Lives in Missouri– Highway Patrol Enforces Zero Tolerance

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, efforts to crack down on seat belt usage will continue to be enforced as the summer heats up. Summer travel is usually associated with being higher, and with higher traffic volume, the likelihood of auto and truck accidents increase.

Despite the advancements in automobile safety and education on the importance and value of seat belt usage, Missouri seat belt use remains relatively unchanged at 79 percent. The national average is 86 percent, so Missouri falls short by five percent.

Missouri Highway Patrol has launched a SaveMoLives campaign focused on the importance of safety and safety belt use. “Fifty-three percent of Missouri fatalities since the first of the year have been unbuckled vehicle occupants,” said Colonel Ron Replogle, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. “Seat belts clearly save lives. But unfortunately, too many folks still need a tough reminder, so we will be out enforcing a zero-tolerance on those not buckling up”.

According to studies, wearing a seat belt is the best way to reduce injuries and fatalities in a crash because it restrains the passengers and prevents occupants from being thrown from the vehicle. As well, it keeps occupants from smashing into windshields, dashboards, and other passengers. When worn correctly, seat belts can reduce the risk of death for front-seat occupants of passenger cars by 45 percent.

At The Cagle Law Firm, we meet and represent victims of car accidents and truck accidents daily. When the victim wears a seat belt, it is often the difference between us meeting the living victim or their family in more tragic instances. Getting in a vehicle is dangerous, but because we do it daily, we tend to downplay the danger and how quickly lives can be changed forever or ended in a car accident. Why wouldn’t you want the odds on your side?

Often people will not wear their seat belts if the drive is short, which is odd since a majority of accidents happen within just a few miles from a person’s home. Make wearing your seat belt a habit—the first thing you do before starting the car.

Often, I am “jawed” in my car by fellow occupants because I won’t start the car before everyone is buckled up and the kids are safely secured in their seats. Others want me to “hurry and let’s get going.” Anyone that knows me knows that I like to efficient with time, and I am usually in a hurry whatever I am doing. But………those thirty seconds to a couple of minutes that it “costs” to make sure everyone is secured in the car can turn into a loss of a lifetime if we are in an accident. Accidents are traumatic enough when seat belts are used! I really cannot imagine why someone would not wear their seat belt.

Many, like me, grew up in an era where our parents never used seat belts, and the logic is, “I was never belted in, and I’m still here.” That is faulty logic. The statistics are stacked against you. The average person is in five to eight motor vehicle accidents in their lives; metropolitan areas tend to be toward the higher end. Even in the smallest of fender benders, I have seen life-changing injuries. Disregarding safety around motor vehicle accidents is never a wise gamble.

If you have been seriously injured in an auto accident, you may need a personal injury attorney. I hope that you never need my services. Our attorneys at The Cagle Law Firm are experienced personal injury attorneys representing seriously injured victims of car and truck accidents. Call us at (314) 276-1681 for a free consultation.

Source: Law Enforcement Buckling Down on Those Not Buckling Up: Click It or Ticket- Day and Night. Arrive Alive, SaveMoLives.com 5/13/13