Despite alarming statistics, many people still do not wear their seat belt which can lead to a serious or fatal auto accident.
According to police, a fatal auto accident may have been the result of a sixteen-year-old driver falling asleep behind the wheel. The Texas teen and his family had been on the road for about three hours when the accident occurred. Police believe that the teen had fallen asleep and then over-corrected the vehicle when he realized he was swerving into the median. After he over-corrected, the SUV flipped over the guardrail and landed in the grass off the highway. Five family members – the parents and three children ages 4, 6, and 15 – were killed; none were wearing seat belts when the SUV rolled over a guardrail. The driver, who was wearing his seat belt, and two other children were injured; one remains in critical condition. The family was on their way to Disney World.
This case highlights the importance of wearing seat belt. If appropriate restraints had been used, some or all of the victims might have survived. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Seat belts continue to be the single most effective protection device in your vehicle, preventing death and injuries by 50 percent. The facts and figures don’t lie; seat belts DO save lives – yours, your mother, father, sister, and brother. It is really tragic that people don’t understand or ignore the facts.
Every time you get into a vehicle, the choice is yours whether or not to wear my seat belt. Don’t take this decision lightly.
Mark Bello is the CEO and General Counsel of Lawsuit Financial Corporation, a pro-justice lawsuit funding company.
