Since car accidents in Sarasota and throughout this nation occur every day, it is important that you are safe and secure in your vehicle in the event you are involved in a traffic accident. This is why the law requires drivers and their passengers to buckle up.
However, many people still choose not to wear their seat belts. Whether it’s because motorists forget to put on their seat belts, or are rushed, or simply do not want to wear them, one thing remains the same—seat belts save lives.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), one in five people in the U.S. do not regularly wear a seat belt when driving or riding as a passenger in a moving motor vehicle. And according to the National Occupant Protection Use Survey, conducted by the National Center for Statistics and Analysis of the NHTSA, seat belt use nationwide was estimated at 84 percent in 2011. However, the South is below average at 80 percent.
The statistics indicate that there is a nationwide trend indicating that more and more people are not wearing their seat belts during daytime travel. This is why law enforcement continues to focus on a simple message: Click It or Ticket.
The Meaning Behind the “Click It or Ticket” Campaign
While many Americans believe the Click It or Ticket campaign is a way to generate revenue, the main purpose of the campaign is to bring awareness to the fact that seat belts continue to reduce fatalities in Sarasota auto accidents and crashes nationwide. In 2008, seat belts saved more than 13,000 lives, drastically reducing the traffic fatality rate.
Governmental agencies want to reduce traffic fatalities, which is why the national seat belt campaign continues to be a focus every year during Memorial Day weekend, in an effort to increase seat belt usage heading into the summer months.
However, no matter how safe of a driver you are, sometimes accidents and injuries happen. If you were hurt in a Sarasota car crash due to someone else’s negligence or recklessness, or if your loved one died in a fatal traffic accident, you and your family may have rights to compensation for medical bills, lost income, instances of pain and suffering and more. To find out about your rights, call Mallard Perez today for a free, no-obligation consultation at (888) 409-3805.
