The cost of unbuckled drivers and passengers goes far beyond those killed and the resulting loss to their families. On average, impatient hospital care costs for unbuckled hospital crash victims are 50 percent higher than for those who are belted. Society bears 85 percent of those costs, not the individuals involved. Traffic accident fatalities are the leading cause of all injury deaths in America. Seat belt use is important for people of all ages, but it is especially important for children.
Crashes are devastating to unbuckled children.
Yet adults who do not buckle up are sending a deadly message to their children - that it's all right not to use seat belts. May 24-31 is Buckle Up America Week . Please make sure that everyone in your vehicle buckles up on each and every trip, not just in May, but throughout the entire year. Most crashes occur on short trips at low speeds. Instruct your children to always buckle up in other people's vehicles.