Important Safety Tips for Adults, Kids, and Pets on National Seatbelt Day

Nov 14, 2023

In honor of National Seatbelt Day, we’re sharing these important facts and hoping that it inspires you to prioritize safety. We’ve covered tips and tricks for roadside safety, proper car maintenance, and plenty of road trip ideas, but today we’re taking it back to the basics and fundamentals of driver safety: seatbelts. We love our customers, and want you to reach all of your exciting destinations safely and soundly. Happy driving!

Important Facts about Seatbelts, Safety Restraints, and Highway Safety

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission, an impressive 91.6% of Americans understand safety and used their seatbelts in 2022. We hope to see that number rise even higher for 2023’s survey.
Out of 26,535 passenger vehicle occupants who were killed in 2021, a whopping 50% of them were not wearing their seatbelts or properly restrained.

Buckling up is vital to keeping you safe and secure, preventing you from being ejected from the vehicle upon impact or crash (more than 75% who are thrown from vehicles die from those critical injuries, but only 1% of seatbelt wearers were thrown from vehicles).
Seatbelt usage also plays a part in preventing death or severe injury from impacts with airbag contact. Airbags are not a replacement for seat belts, but rather are there to work in tandem and further reduce injury or chances of death.

Making sure to use proper safety restraints and buckle up can reduce risk of fatal injury by about 45% and moderate to critical injury risk by 50%!
It’s important to buckle up each and every time, no matter how long or short your trip is – in fact, most crashes happen within 25 miles of your home. (NHTSA) Since 1975, it’s estimated that proper use of seatbelts has saved more than 374,000 lives.
Getting caught without your seatbelt can not only cost you in local or state motor vehicle infractions, but driving without it can also increase your car insurance rates by almost 6%.

Illinois Seat Belt Law requires all drivers and passengers 8 years and older to wear safety belts; passengers under the age of 8 must be secured in child restraint systems. In Wisconsin, Children under four are required to be restrained in an appropriate child safety restraint, and all passengers over the age of 4 must wear safety belts. Plus: It is generally recommended that children should continue to remain secured in car seats and/or booster seats until they have outgrown the size and weight limits of their booster seats, or have reached a size where they can fit properly in the seat with safe seat belt usage. Generally, this is between ages of 8 and 12. Additionally, all children under 13 should remain in the back seat to reduce risk.
Did you know that use of seatbelts and vehicle restraints drops by 40% in children when parents don’t properly use their seat belts? 57% of 13 and 14 year olds who were involved in fatal crashes in 2020 were unrestrained. Setting a good example for younger drivers and younger passengers can save their lives! (NHTSA)
Pet safety restraints and seat belts are also a vital safety measure to reduce distracted driving, as well as preventing their death or injury, and that of those passenger and driving. Did you know that a 10lb dog will exert roughly 500lbs of force in a vehicle crash of 50mph, whereas an 80lb dog in a crash at a mere 30mph will exert 2400lbs of force? Additionally, airbags can also cause death or injury if your pet comes into contact with them while driving! Even if your pet is extremely calm, please place them in a safety crate, pet-safe seatbelt, or other restraint to keep them and you safe and healthy. Options can include a pet harness/safety belt, a hard-sided travel crate, a pet vehicle seat, a vehicle pet barrier between front and rear seats, or a soft sided travel crate.