Buckling up is one of the most crucial factors when it comes to surviving a crash. National Seat belt Month was created to remind drivers to take this extremely important safety precaution seriously. While most of us understand the lifesaving value of wearing seat belts (90.1%), almost 27.5 million people don’t buckle up.
Seat Belts Save Lives
The most recent report from the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety said there were 962 motor vehicle fatalities in 2016, of which 329 were deaths of passengers who were not buckled up.
Arizona Seat Belt Laws
The State of Arizona is among many that have made it mandatory for motorists to wear seat belts when operating a vehicle. Driver and passengers in the front seat must have the waist and chest strap properly fastened and in place if the vehicle is moving, and anyone under 16 must wear them.
The State’s seat belt law is designed to ensure the safety of drivers and passengers because seat belts have been proven to save lives. There are two types of seat belt laws referred to as primary and secondary.
Primary Enforcement Seat Belt Law
A primary seat belt law enforces the ability for police officers to stop drivers if they notice they aren’t wearing seat belts. In terms of child passengers, Arizona enforces the primary enforcement seat belt law. Proper seat belt usages include making sure that children 16 and younger wear seat belts. Children below the age of eight and less than 4’9 inches tall need to use a car seat or booster seat.
Secondary Enforcement Seat Belt Laws
With the secondary enforcement seat belt law, the police officer can only cite the driver if they pull them over for another reason like going through a stop sign or speeding.
The National Seat Belt Enforcement Mobilization
This year’s National Seat Belt Enforcement Mobilization is taking place May 20 through June 2. The national event teams up with local law enforcement agencies throughout the United States, highlighting the dangers of not buckling up. The annual high visibility “Click It or Ticket” campaign supports law enforcement’s efforts to increase the use of seat belts and prevent collision fatalities. Varying campaign materials being provided include “Buckle Up”, “Click it or Ticket”, African American and Hispanic Buckle Up toolkits.
The main goal of National Seat Belt Month is to save lives through enforcement and educational campaigns, helping people understand the life-threatening consequences of not wearing seat belts. Another focus of the campaign is to make sure people are properly buckled up every time they get in the car. Seat belts have been proven to be one of the best ways to save your life in a crash. Yet many still don’t buckle up. Why not start now? At Hi-Tech we encourage you to be safe on the road. If you have any questions about National Seat Belt Month and your car’s safety, please contact us today.
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