Every one knows that seat belts save lives….right? But do you know why seat belts save lives? They keep you in place and prevent you from being ejected from the car. It’s that simple. Cars these days are engineered to keep you safe, providing crumple zones and ‘room to live’ for occupants belted in during a crash. If you are ejected from a car during a crash, however, you are four times more likely to die.
Newton’s Law of Motion indicates that an object in motion will stay in motion until it is stopped by something else. If you are in a car crash, everything in the car continues to move at the speed you were traveling (i.e., 35 mph) until it is stopped by something else: a dashboard, windshield, or brick wall for instance. However, if that something that stops you is a seat belt—which in turn keeps you in position (‘room to live’)--then you are much better for it.
In 2007, 255 people died on Nevada roads from car crashes; 122 of them were unbelted. Half of these, or 60 people, would still be with us today if they’d only buckled up.
The societal cost to Nevadans of each motor vehicle fatality is about $1.23M, and about $900K for each severe injury. The general public pays over three quarters of these costs,including welfare, medical, insurance, taxes, delays, and lost productivity. Considering that you are twice as likely to survive a car crash sustaining only minor injuries if wearing a seat belt…well, you do the math.
Two-thirds, or over sixty percent of teens age 16-20 that died on our roads last year were not buckled up. Research has shown that Graduated Driver License laws (GDL) for new drivers have resulted in fewer teen-caused crashes and deaths across the nation. Nevada’s GDL law is a strong one, but does not address the need for teens to wear seat belts. (For more information on Nevada seat belt and child restraint laws, go to end of article).
The threat of a ticket has proven to increase seat belt usage among non-users, where the fear of death or injury has failed. Nevada’s ‘Click it or Ticket’ seat belt enforcement campaign has helped to increase its belt usage rate from 79% in 1999 to 91% in 2007. However, the 10% not buckling up are primarily young males, impaired and/or night-time drivers. These high-risk groups may only be convinced to buckle up once Nevada adopts a standardized seat belt law (Nevada’s seat belt law is secondary enforcement, meaning an officer can only pull over a vehicle if he witnesses another violation besides the non-use of a seat belt). States that have enacted standard belt laws exhibit a 6-12% jump in seat belt usage within one year of passage.
Non-users of seat belts claim that they are only hurting themselves. However, if they survive a crash and rack up $150K for medical costs alone, that increases insurance premiums and costs for the rest of us. If they are the only one [injured or killed] in the car, their family and friends must suffer their loss. If they are not the only one in the car, they become a projectile inside the car, kicking someone else in the head and injuring them even though that someone else was belted in.
Children riding in cars with buckled-up adults are three times more likely to be belted in safely themselves. Please take two seconds to Buckle Up, Every Trip, Every Time. It’s that simple.
Nevada’s seat belt law, NRS 484.641, states: Any person driving, and any passenger who: (a) Is 6 years of age or older; or (b) Weighs more than 60 pounds, regardless of age, who rides in the front or back seat of any vehicle…on any highway, road or street in this State shall wear a safety belt if one is available for his seating position.
The driver is responsible for each violation for himself and any passengers under age 18—about $67 per violation. Exemptions include public transportation (except for taxis), slow and intermittent traffic (like a parade or mail route), or a physician’s statement. Vehicles manufactured before 1968 were not required to have safety belts, and are therefore also exempt.
Nevada’s child seat law, NRS 484.474 states: Any person who is transporting a child who is less than 6 years of age and who weighs 60 pounds or less in a motor vehicle…which is equipped to carry passengers shall secure the child in a child restraint system which: (b) Is appropriate for the size and weight of the child; and (c) Is installed within and attached safely and securely to the motor vehicle [per] the instructions for installation and attachment provided by the manufacturer of the child restraint system.
A citation may be given to the responsible party for the child that is in the vehicle at the time, and not necessarily to just the driver. The minimum fine for a first offense is $100, up to $1,000 for a second, and loss of drivers’ license for a third offense or more. Exemptions include public transportation or a physician’s statement.
For more information, please contact the DPS- Office of Traffic Safety.
Traci Pearl
Occupant Protection Program
DPS-Office of Traffic Safety
tpearl@dps.state.nv.us
775.684.7476