New York Car Accident Lawyer Reminds You to Buckle Up
Not Wearing Your Seat Belt in an Auto Accident Can Result in Injury
As the law currently stands in New York, all drivers in the front seat are required to wear a seat belt. Rear passengers however, are only required to use a seat belt if they are under the age of 16. Currently, 21 states and the District of Columbia have rear seat belt legislation in effect.
Wearing your seatbelt as a rear passenger is just as important as wearing your seat belt in the front seat, perhaps more so. A 2009 study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration determined that 3,658 lives would have been saved in 2008 if rear passengers had been wearing a seatbelt.
There is no doubt that seat belts save lives, and are deemed to be 40 to 50 percent effective in preventing death during a serious crash. What people may not realize however, is an unrestrained rear passenger is not only unprotected in the event of a crash, they can pose a serious danger to front seat passengers. Current proposed legislation states that a 60 pound unbelted passenger traveling at 30 miles per hour can exert 2,700 pounds of force into the driver’s seat. This number goes up exponentially the faster the speed traveled and the larger the person.
It is time for New York to pass legislation requiring all passengers of a vehicle to wear their seatbelts. In the meantime, it is important to protect yourself and your loved ones and buckle up.
