As promised here are some seatbelt stats:
In the past 26 years, safety belts prevented 135,000 fatalities and 3.8 million injuries, saving $585 billion in medical and other costs. If all vehicle occupants had used safety belts during that period, nearly 315,000 deaths and 5.2 million injuries could have been prevented — and $913 billion in costs saved. [NHTSA, Economic Impact of Crashes, 2002]
Fatalities and accidents involving those not wearing seat belts costs the U.S. approximately $20 billion per year. Of that cost, 74% of the tab is paid for by the public.
[NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts Overview, 2001]
One out of four Americans still doesn't wear a seat belt.
[NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts Overview, 2001]
Safety belts saved 13,274 lives in 2001, and if all vehicle occupants over age 4 had been wearing safety belts, 7,334 more lives could have been saved, NHTSA estimates. [NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts Overview, 2001]
Each percentage-point increase in safety belt use represents 2.8 million more people buckling up, 250 more lives saved and 6,400 serious injuries prevented annually, NHTSA estimates. [NHTSA, FY2003 Performance Plan, 2002]
Seventy-three percent of the people who were in a fatal crash in 2001 and were restrained survived; of those who were not restrained, only 44 percent survived. [NHTSA, Annual Assessment of Motor Vehicle Crashes, 2001]
In fatal crashes, 75 percent of all passenger car occupants who were totally ejected were killed. Only 1 percent of those occupants had been using a safety belt. [NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts Overview, 2001]
Sorry so long. |