THE FACTS ABOUT SEAT BELTS

If law enforcement pulls you over for an infraction or violation, they can also potentially ticket you for not wearing a seat belt and/or other seat belt violations at that time.

Buckling up will save you the pain of getting pulled over and receiving a fine. And it’s actually the single most effective thing you can do to protect yourself in a crash. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), seat belts saved an estimated 13,941 lives nationwide in 2015. Yet, many people still aren’t buckling up across the country and here at home. It only takes two seconds to buckle up. Please, wear your seat belt every time.

An unbuckled motorist is
75%
more likely to be killed in a rollover crash.

 

Motorists are
4X
more likely to die in a crash if ejected from the vehicle.

51%
of Nevada’s motor vehicle fatalities were not buckled up in 2015.

 

Buckle up and you reduce the risk of getting seriously injured or dying in a crash by
50%

Average additional costs of treatment for children who weren’t buckled up
191%.

 

$44,329
Additional patient cost when you don’t buckle up.


Between 2011 and 2015, 371 unbelted vehicle occupants lost their lives and 942 were seriously injured in traffic crashes on Nevada's roadways.

KNOW THE LAW

Any person who is driving and all passengers 6 years of age or older and weighing more than 60 pounds must wear a seat belt.

Any child less than 6 years of age and weighing less than 60 pounds must ride in a federally-approved child restraint system. Failure to restrain children under age 6 and weighing less than 60 pounds may result in fines, community service and/or the suspension of your driver’s license.

Seat belt citations carry a $25 fine. Including court costs and administration fees, violators will owe at least $70. However, this is far less than the cost of a crash if the driver and passengers are unbelted.

Even though, by law children can graduate to a seat belt system at age 7 if they weigh more than 60 pounds, federal guidelines and research advise that your child should be at least 4-feet, 9-inches tall to wear a seat belt. If the shoulder belt does not fit easily over the chest and “rides up” on your child’s neck, they need a “belt-positioning” booster seat.

KEEPING CHILDREN SAFE

  • Keep children in the back seat until at least age 12.
  • Never use a lap belt on a child sitting in a booster seat designed for shoulder belts.
  • Never use pillows, books, or towels to boost a child.
  • Select a car seat based on your child’s age and size and use it every time.
  • Only use a child safety seat with all parts, instructions, and labels.
 
  • Do not use a child safety seat that has been in a crash. If you don’t know the history of the seat, don’t chance it.
  • Return product registration forms for all new car seats to the manufacturer to ensure that you will be notified of any recalls.
  • Check recalls.gov for car seat recalls.
  • Get free child safety seat inspections and advice at 866-SEAT-CHECK or seatcheck.org.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Make it a habit to wear your seat belt all the time. It just takes two seconds to Click It.

When in a vehicle, remind everyone else to wear his or her seat belt too.

Always wear your seat belt correctly. Wearing BOTH your lap and shoulder belt is the best line of defense. The lap belt and shoulder belt are secured across the hip bones, across the chest, and positioned at mid-shoulder.

Never put a shoulder belt behind anyone’s arm or back because it eliminates the protection for the upper part of the body and dangerously redistributes crash forces.