Seatbelts: How Important Are They?
A recent article from the Houston Chronicle highlighted the issue of police officers killed in the line of duty as a result of their failure to wear a seatbelt. While it is unclear whether or not a seatbelt would have saved the lives of any of the individuals in question, one thing remains certain, officers are normally required by their supervisors to wear a seatbelt at all times while driving. Unfortunately, many officers will find any way they can to get out of wearing the safety device, even going so far as to disable the cruiser’s onboard seatbelt warning system which flashes and makes noise when the car is moving without the driver’s seatbelt being fastened.
While officers often have very compelling reasons for not wearing the belts, including a fear of a lack of mobility in the event of an emergency, this does not change the fact that seatbelts do save lives in most types of automobile collisions. According to the article and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), at least 64 officers from across the United States died in vehicular crashes between 2004 and 2008. Nearly 40% of those officers killed were not wearing seatbelts at the time of the collision.
In Texas, 5 out of the 13 officers killed in on-duty crashes since 2007 were not wearing seatbelts. A Burnet County officer was the most recent unbuckled fatality in Texas following his death in an accident in October of 2009. As I stated earlier, it remains unclear whether or not a seatbelt would have saved the lives of these officers. However, according to a study referenced in the article, officers are almost three times more likely to die in a car crash when their seatbelts are unbuckled.
Regardless of whether you are a police officer or not, the statistics make it very clear that if you want to maximize your chances of surviving an automobile accident you need to buckle your seatbelt. Period.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a car or truck accident, contact the experienced Houston car accident lawyers at Fitts Zehl, LLP today for a free consultation.
Fitts Zehl Recent News
News Update: June 1, 2009, Fitts Zehl was named one of five "Power Lawyers and Law Firms of 2009" in Houston.
- Three Firefighters Injured En Route To An Auto Accident
- No Charges Recommended In 2009 HFD Crash Killing 1 and Injuring 10
- Texting Behind The Wheel Results In $22 Million Dollar Verdict
- Tragic Rollover Wreck Kills One Houston Man and Injures Four Others
- Bastrop Wreck Kills Three Young Children
- Seatbelts: How Important Are They?
- Houston Woman Crashes Car Through Store Window
- Safety First: What To Do If Your Car Breaks Down On The Freeway
- Distracted Drivers: Negligence on the Road
- Hit By a Driver Without Insurance in Texas?