The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends comprehensive seat belt use laws as a way to reduce the number of serious injuries and deaths in car accidents, according to the agency’s highway safety countermeasure guide.
Currently, 24 U.S. states do not have seat belt laws that cover all passengers in all types of vehicles, according to the NHTSA. These laws make exemptions for various vehicles, including 10-passenger vehicles, taxis, postal delivery vehicles, farm vehicles, or any vehicle that is not required to have seat belts installed. Many states exempt adults from wearing seat belts when they are riding in the back seat of a car, for example.
Although no research currently examines whether comprehensive seat belt use laws really affect the rate at which people buckle up, a 2005 study cited by the NHTSA found that when people thought their state required all vehicle passengers to wear seat belts no matter where they were sitting, they were more likely to wear a seat belt every time they got in the car even if they were mistaken about their state’s law. Based on this information, the NHTSA predicts that a seat belt law requiring every passenger in every vehicle to buckle up will result in more people actually using seat belts.
Car accidents can leave drivers and passengers with serious injuries or even take lives. At Massey & Associates, P.C., our experienced Chattanooga car accident lawyers are ready to help you protect your legal rights and seek the compensation you need after a crash. For a free and confidential consultation, call us today at (423) 396-0720.
Gary Massey, Jr., is a well-known courtroom advocate practicing law in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Gary is a native of Tennessee who began practicing law in 1998. He graduated from Cumberland School of Law where he was ranked in the top 3% of his class and was an editor of the Cumberland Law Review.
