Despite advances in technology that have made driving safer than ever, wearing a seatbelt is still the most important thing you can do to protect yourself when you’re on the road. This basic safety feature has kept many drivers and passengers alive throughout the worst traffic accidents, and it’s kept minor collisions from becoming threats to life and limb.

Tragically, this hasn’t stopped misconceptions about seatbelts from spreading and endangering lives. Frightening stories of seatbelt malfunctions, while rare and often dubious, can quickly overshadow the thousands of lives that seatbelts save every year.

Don’t fall prey to urban legends. Learn about why you should always wear a seatbelt when you’re in a car:

  1. Seatbelts keep you in place. Being thrown from a car during a collision is one of the deadliest things that can happen to a driver or passenger. Despite what you may have heard, it’s better to be inside the vehicle after an accident than wrapped around the nearest tree.
  2. Seatbelts are specifically designed to prevent the most devastating injuries. Tragically, traumatic brain injuries and injuries to the spinal cord are common outcomes after a car accident. However, seatbelts are specially designed to protect these most vulnerable parts of the body. Wearing a seatbelt can make the difference between minor injuries and life-altering disability, if not death.
  3. Seatbelts absorb the impact. Not only does your seatbelt soften the blow from a collision, it can also spread the force of the impact so one part of your body doesn’t get all of it.
  4. It’s the law. While not a matter of life and death, breaking a law that only exists to protect you is pointless. Whatever your reasons may be for not wearing a seatbelt, they’re not worth the possibility of legal repercussions.

Do you have questions about personal injury law? Katherine has years of experience helping people navigate their lives after an injury, including injuries resulting from car accidents. Call, text, or email us for a free consultation with a knowledgeable legal counselor.