A lot of people, especially young teens, don’t realize the safety of a seat belt. It is there to prevent you from flying out of the windshield of your car if you have a wreck. It’s also there so you don’t get flown around in a car; instead, the seat belt keeps you seated.
Let’s Look at the Statistics
According to https://www.nhtsa.gov/, in 2022, 25,420 people were killed in passenger vehicle accidents in 2022 alone. Of those killed, about 50% were not wearing a seat belt. That’s 12,710 people that potentially could have lived if they were only wearing their seat belts.
Seat belts saved an estimated 14,955 lives and could have saved an additional 2,549 people if they had been wearing seat belts, just in 2017. Think of how many people could have been saved in the last DECADE if they wore their seat belts. That would be more than just a few people.
History of the Seat Belt
https://www.oswaldserviceinc.com/ records that in the late 1800s, an English engineer named George Cayley came up with the idea for the seat belt, but it wasn’t meant for cars at the time. Instead, he designed it to keep pilots from falling out of their gliders. The first seat belt designed specifically for cars—a lap belt—was patented in 1855 by Edward J. Claghorn, an American inventor. His goal was to improve safety, especially for people riding in New York City taxis. However, seat belts didn’t become common in cars until the mid-1930s, when safety testing started to show their importance. After more research and studies, doctors pushed for seat belts to be included in all vehicles to help protect passengers.
It wasn’t until 1959 that Volvo introduced the three-point seat belt, the type we’re familiar with today. Designed by Swedish engineer Nils Bohlin, this new seat belt offered protection for both the upper and lower body. Soon after, U.S. car manufacturers were required to include seat belts in every car. Before 1966, seat belts were often sold as optional add-ons, and you could even buy them at gas stations. By 1975, most other developed countries had followed the U.S. lead and made seat belts mandatory in all vehicles.
Buckle Up!
Now that you know how important wearing your seatbelt is, make sure to always buckle up even if it’s a short drive. In fact, not only is it not safe, it is illegal in the state of Texas to not wear your seat belt while driving, or even riding as passengers.
Wearing seat belts saves lives. Don’t add onto the aforementioned statistics. Drive smart, and be safe.
