As adults, we’ve gotten used to the fact that wearing seat belts in the two front seats of a car is a must. In the backseat, however, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Many people tend to not use the seat belt in the backseat because of their belief that it’s unnecessary. Let’s try to break this down and look at just how important seat belts are, regardless of your position in a vehicle.
Why Do Accidents Happen?
Accidents can occur in a number of ways while driving and while in the car. One of the leading causes of backseat accidents is that the rear-seat passengers lean across the seat and then hit the front-seat passengers. When this happens, there’s a significant change in the trajectory of the collision, and the front-seat passenger can be thrown forward into the dashboard or windshield.
To make things worse, the backseat passengers are usually thrown from the car and subsequently thrown from other vehicles. To minimize the potential for these kinds of accidents, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that adults need to wear seat belts in the backseat as well.
Is it Necessary to Use Seat Belts in the Back Seat for Safety?
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), only about 78 percent of rear-seat occupants use seat belts when inside a vehicle. The IIHS also found that rear-seat passengers are about four times more likely to suffer injuries during a collision than front-seat passengers.
Seat belts are an essential safety tool for all vehicle occupants for many reasons. Not wearing a seat belt, particularly in the backseat, could be a major cause of death and injury during a collision. The fact that rear-seat passengers are almost four times more likely to be hurt in a collision than front-seat passengers is a major reason why adults should use seat belts in the backseat.
Use of Seat Belts and Rear-Seat Occupants
Airbags are becoming more and more popular, which is a good thing because they can save lives in many situations. Airbags can also be a hindrance, however, because they can also cause injuries. It’s important for drivers to understand that airbags are designed to deploy when a collision occurs. A collision can cause an occupant to fly out of their seat and into the airbag, resulting in serious injuries.
Seat belts are designed to prevent occupants from being thrown out of their seats into the airbag. In fact, seat belts keep the driver and the rear-seat passengers from flying forward into the airbag and from getting thrown from their seats. In other words, seat belts are designed to keep passengers in their seats so they can be protected by airbags.
Is There a Law that Encourages Seat Belt Use in the Back Seat?
It should be noted that there is no federal law that requires adults to use seat belts in the backseat. There are, however, a number of states that have laws regarding adult seat belt usage in the backseat. In fact, there are 21 states that have laws that require adults to wear seat belts in the backseat.
But even though there are no federal laws about adults using seat belts in the backseat, it’s still important to wear one. The fatality rate in the backseat is extremely high, and it’s easy to see why. When adults don’t wear seat belts, they are much more likely to get injured or killed.
Conclusion
With all of the research that’s been conducted on seat belt usage in the backseat, it’s clear that there’s a problem. The bottom line is wearing seat belts in the backseat is just as important as wearing one in the front. So, make sure to keep yourself and your passengers safe by wearing seat belts at all times whenever inside a vehicle.
SRS Restore is an automotive repair shop focusing on seat belt repair services. Whether you’ve been in an accident or your seat belt is faulty, our repair technicians are always at your service. We can repair and rebuild locked seat belts, restoring them to their original functionality. Whenever you need automotive repair services, contact SRS Restore.