Prevention Strategies: Always Use Your Seat Belt
Washington State law requires that you wear a seat belt at all times when operating or riding in a motor vehicle.
How should a seat belt fit?
The seat lap belt should fit low and tight across the hips, below the stomach. The lap belt should not ride up across the stomach. The shoulder belt should fit high and snug across the chest and shoulders. The shoulder belt should not cross the face or neck. Pregnant women should continue to wear their seatbelts like everyone else. For more information on seat belts contact Washington State Patrol or National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Is it safe for two people to share one seat belt?
No. Every person in a vehicle should have his or her own seat belt. In the event of a motor vehicle crash, sharing a seat belt can cause extreme injury and even death.
What are the guidelines for child safety seats?
- Infants under the age of one or children weighing less than twenty pounds should ride in rear facing seats in the back seat.
- Children weighing 20 to 40 pounds should ride in a forward facing car seat in the back seat.
- Children weighing 40 to 80 pounds should ride in car booster seats in the back seat.
How does a brain injury impact a person’s ability to drive a car?
A brain injury can have a huge impact on a person’s ability to operate a motor vehicle. A traumatic brain injury can affect a person cognitively, physically, and emotionally. Depending on the location of the injury, vision may be impacted, as well as, perceptual skills, motor skills such as response time, and decision-making skills.
Compared to a person riding in a car, how much more likely is a motorcyclist to be injured or killed in a crash?
Motorcyclists are about 14 times more likely than those in a car to die in a crash and about 3 times more likely to be injured. The CDC reports that motorcyclists represent 6 percent of all traffic deaths, yet account for less than 2 percent of all registered vehicles in the United States.