Buckle up every time!

In 2005, 31,414 occupants of motor vehicles were killed in traffic crashes and 55 percent of those occupants were unrestrained. The good news is seat belt use has been on the rise since 1994, when a meager 58 percent of drivers and passengers buckled up. More than 10 years later, seat belt use nationally is up to 82 percent. Colorado falls slightly below the national average with adult seat belt use at 79.2 percent and teens slightly lower at 74 percent.

Why are seat belts important?

Research has found that lap and shoulder seat belts, when used correctly, reduce the risk for fatal injury to front seat occupants by 45 percent. Seat belts prevent ejection from a vehicle. Seventy-five percent of the motor vehicle occupants killed in 2005 were totally ejected from the vehicle.

Older Children and Seat Belts

Older children often place a seat belt under their arm or behind their back because the seat belt does not fit correctly and cuts into their neck. This gives the child no upper body support and puts extreme pressure on the abdomen and low back, leading to life threatening injuries. This is an automatic sign that the child still needs to be in a booster seat. Booster seats are designed to lift kids up to fit the adult seat belt.

The booster seat positions the shoulder belt away from the child’s head and neck where, if positioned incorrectly, can cause a severe head injury or spinal injury. The booster seat has a positioner that centers the seat belt between the child’s neck and shoulder over the collarbone, which helps to center the seat belt on the child’s chest. Booster seats also position the lap portion of the seat belt over the child’s hips and thighs not over their stomach. There have been numerous reports of abdominal trauma and low back fractures when a lap belt is out of position or just a lap belt is worn. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children remain in booster seats until they are 8 – 10 years old, 80-100 lbs and at least 4 feet 9 inches (57” tall). For more information on Booster Seats contact Denver Health Injury Prevention 303-436-4030 or CPS Team Colorado: www.carseatscolorado.com, 1-877-luv-tots.

Airbag Use

Airbags, combined with lap/shoulder belts, offer the most effective safety protection for vehicle occupants (children 12 years old and younger should not sit in front of airbags.) Since 1997, there have been 19,659 lives saved by the use of lap/shoulder belts in combination with air bags. Airbags are supplemental protection to be used in conjunction with a seat belt and are not designed to deploy in all crashes. Most airbags are designed to inflate with moderate to severe frontal crashes.

Children in rear facing child safety seats must never be placed in the front seat of vehicles equipped with passenger- side air bags. The impact of a deploying air bag striking the infant seat can fatally injure a child.

Be a role model for family and friends… BUCKLE UP!