'Click It or Ticket' Campaign Emphasizes Seat Belt Safety

Do you wear your seat belt every single time you get in a car? Driver or passenger? Front seat and back? Do the young drivers in your household wear seat belts and do they insist that their friends buckle up?

It's a fact that using seat belts reduces both serious crash-related injuries and fatalities by 50%! According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 55% of teens that died in crashes in 2012 were not wearing a seat belt. Young adults ages 18-34 or less likely to wear seat belts than older adults, and men of all ages are 10% less likely to wear seat belts than women.

• They prevent the vehicle occupants from being thrown outside of the car.

• They restrain the strongest parts of the body - the hips and the shoulders.

• They spread the force from the crash over a wider body area to help avoid serious injury.

• They keep the head and upper body away from the steering wheel and dashboard during a sudden vehicle stop.

• They help the body to slow down for a slower deceleration.

• They protect your brain and spinal cord from deadly injury.

Each year the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) sponsors a seat belt awareness program called "Click It or Ticket." From May 23rd to June 5th, you'll see advertising targeting young drivers and urging them to always wear a seatbelt. Also during that period, law enforcement agencies across the country will step up their seat belt enforcement campaigns especially during evening and night hours.

Florida law requires that both drivers and passengers in the front seat wear seat belts. Additionally, all children must wear either a seatbelt or a child safety restraint. The seatbelt law is now primary in Florida, which means that a police officer can pull you over just because of a seatbelt law violation.

Parents, be good role models for your children. Always wear your seat belt - every trip - no matter where you are sitting and regardless of the time of day. Don't hand over the car keys to your young drivers unless that they promise to always wear their belts and to insist that their friends buckle up too.

The Law Offices of Diana Santa Maria, P.A. has extensive experience in representing victims who have been injured in car accidents and other vehicle accidents. You may be eligible for compensation if the accident was due to someone's negligence. Please call us for a free consultation. Attorney Diana Santa Maria, personal injury attorney in Fort Lauderdale, will fight to get you the compensation that you and your family deserve. You can reach us at (954) 434-1077 or contact us via the website.