Buckle up: every one, every trip, every time
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Now that summer is here, we plan travel vacations and fun times with our families. The one thing that too many Montanans are not thinking about is wearing a seatbelt during their travels. That is why Buckle Up Montana Coalitions and law enforcement agencies across Montana are taking time to remind you to buckle up - every one, every trip, every time.
Preliminary reports, from the Montana Highway Patrol, show that there have been 75 motor vehicle crashes between January 1 and June 10. These 75 motor vehicle crashes there have resulted in 84 fatalities; this number is up by 10 from this period last year. Over 75 percent of these fatalities were not wearing their safety belts.
Passengers are 25 times more likely to be ejected from a vehicle if they are not wearing a seat belt. Vehicles are built with a reinforced safety cage to protect the occupants of the vehicle in the event of a crash. Within that cage is the best chance to survive a crash because there is room to live when the passengers stay in the vehicle. Wearing a seat belt properly will keep passengers inside the vehicle, therefore giving them room to live.
When used correctly, seat belts and child safety seats have proven to reduce the risk of injuries and fatalities. Seat belts are the most effective piece of safety equipment in a vehicle, but remember — no one in the vehicle is safe unless every passenger is buckled up. In the event of a crash, if even one passenger in the vehicle is not buckled, it puts all other passengers at risk of being critically injured by those who are unbuckled.
As you travel this summer, remember to wear your seatbelt. Buckle up every one, every trip, every time. Please remember, click it, don’t risk it.
For more information, please visit www.buckleup.mt.gov.
