Keep your seatbelt on over the turkey
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Many of us overindulge in holiday goodies and loosen our belts a little after Thanksgiving dinner. But remember, there’s nothing that should keep you from tightening your seatbelt when you get into a motor vehicle. The potential consequences are just too great.
In 2010 alone, seatbelts saved an estimated 12,500 lives. An additional 4,000 lives could have been saved if seatbelts had been worn at the time of the crashes. Additionally, research has shown that when lap and shoulder belts are used properly, the risk of a fatal injury to front seat passenger car occupants is reduced by 45 percent, and the risk of moderate to serious injury is reduced by 50 percent.
Yet, 45 million Americans still fail to buckle up regularly. In Montana, 70 percent of the people involved in fatal crashes were not wearing their seatbelts. It only takes two seconds to buckle up, yet wearing a seatbelt can save your life.
Your family is expecting you for dinner. Wearing your seatbelt is the single most effective way to save your life and the lives of your loved ones while on the road this Thanksgiving holiday travel season. Please buckle up.
