Medical experts agree that very few people would benefit from installing an on-off switch. The vast majority of people can retain the benefits of air bags and virtually eliminate the risks simply by using them correctly. B uckle everyone. C hildren 12 and under ride properly restrained in the back seat. Unfortunately, one third of Americans still don't wear a safety belt - and their dangerous conduct is influencing children.
Automobile crashes are the number one cause of death for children.
Clearly, increasing adult belt use is essential to raising belt use among children. Yet, nationwide, only 70 percent of Americans currently buckle up. The only proven way to increase the nation's safety belt use is to enact and enforce stronger safety belt laws. These tougher laws, which allow police to stop and ticket just like any other routine violation, have increased California's safety belt use to 89 percent, New Mexico's to 87 percent, and North Carolina's to 82 percent. Obviously, safety belt laws work, and the public overwhelmingly supports them.