Why wearing a seat belt is so important in an accident

Even though California is ranked one of the highest in the nation for wearing seat belts, there is still that small percentage of drivers who don’t. Accident victims are brought in to emergency rooms every year with serious or even fatal injuries, simply because they were not wearing their seat belt.

But it might be difficult for some of our readers who have never been involved in a car accident to imagine what injuries could be suffered in a crash. That’s why we wanted to take time this week to share with our San Francisco readers what can happen to your body when you’re not properly restrained.

Many people never assume that they will be involved in a car accident because they consider themselves a good driver. Unfortunately, you cannot always predict what another driver will do. They may run into you because they are intoxicated or distracted behind the wheel. Even minor crashes can result in bruises or broken bones that may require medical attention. More serious crashes can involve more severe injuries such as head traumas or spinal cord injuries that may temporarily or permanently disable you, making you unable to work.

As you may already know, if your vehicle suddenly stops for whatever reason, your body continues moving at the speed the vehicle was travelling. If you’re not wearing your seatbelt, this could mean that you are ejected from the car. Many times, injuries suffered because of an ejection are life threatening.

Although wearing your seatbelt does not always guarantee that you will not suffer injuries in a motor vehicle accident, they may reduce your chances of suffering more severe or fatal injuries. They almost always prevent the risk of ejection from a vehicle, if the restraint is worn properly that is. These are things we hope our readers will keep in mind when they take to California’s roadways.

Source: The Midland Daily News, “Trauma team: In car crashes, seat belt use reduces injury severity,” Emma Johnson, April 2, 2014