Importance of Safety Belts to Prevent Injury in Los Angeles Accidents

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Highway Loss Data Institute provides that the state of California had 1,807 fatalities ^[1] caused by single vehicle accidents in 2013. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration Traffic Safety Facts ^[2] provides that in fatal crashes in 2012, 79 percent of passenger vehicle occupants who were totally ejected from vehicles were killed. Ejection from the vehicle is one of the most injurious events that can happen to a person in an accident. In passenger cars, 18 percent of fatally injured occupants were ejected (totally or partially) from the vehicle, while 34 percent of those killed in light trucks were ejected. The report further states that seat belts are effective in preventing total ejections. Lap/shoulder seat belts, when used, reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passenger car occupants by 45 percent and the risk of moderate-to-critical injury by 50 percent. In 2012 alone, seat belts saved an estimated 12,174 lives of passenger vehicle occupants.

California seat belt law is described in section 27315 of the Vehicle Code and provides that, in a private passenger vehicle, the driver and all passengers are required to be secured by a safety belt. Section 27360 of the Vehicle Code spells out the requirements for very young children. Under this statute, children must ride in the back seat of the vehicle and be in a child safety seat, unless they are age six or older or weigh 60 pounds or more.

It is important for all drivers and passengers to use safety belts in order to remain safe, to reduce the risk of injury or death in a vehicle accident and to fully comply with the terms of the California Safety Belt Law. Even if you are wearing a safety belt, you may be involved in a vehicle accident and sustain serious injuries. If that occurs to yourself or someone you know, it is important to speak to a Los Angeles automobile accident attorney. The Steven M. Sweat, Personal Injury Lawyers, APC, APC has represented victims of vehicle accidents all over the state of California and offers free initial consultations on these matters. We never charge a fee unless and until money is recovered for the victim or the victim’s family.

• [1] Fatality Facts
• [2] Passenger Vehicles