Buckle Your Seatbelt.

It Could Save Your Life

For immediate release: April 22, 2019
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data shows that there was an

average of 10,428 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in the United

States during 2016. If all passenger vehicle occupants aged 5 and older had worn their seat

belts, an additional 2,456 lives could have been saved.

United States Transportation Secretary, Elaine L. Chao stated, “Safety is our top priority,

and this department is proud to stand with local law enforcement officials to help spread

the word about the importance of buckling up”.

Travel Safe, a new organization has partnered with Drive Safe Alabama to reduce the

overall number of motor vehicle injuries and deaths in Jefferson County, Birmingham,

Alabama through increased awareness of seatbelt safety.

The Directors of Communication and Outreach stated, “We are working together to save

lives in Jefferson County”.

NHTSA Deputy Administrator, Heidi King reported, “High-visibility seat belt enforcement is

important 24 hours a day”. King stated, “Always buckle up when you get in your vehicle,

and make sure all passengers are buckled before you start driving. Remember click it or

ticket”.

The United States Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration has decided to team up with local law enforcement agencies across the

country to remind everyone to buckle up.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Adult motor vehicle drivers

and passengers in rural areas had death rates 3 to 10 times higher than those in urban

areas. This data was reported in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Rural

Health Series.

This study focused on seat belt usage and the proportion of drivers and passengers who

were not buckled up at the time of motor vehicle accidents. Seat belt usage was reported to

be significantly higher in the rural areas and primary enforcement states. The primary

enforcement states consisted of where an officer can give a ticket to driver or passenger

who has failed to use their seat belt.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 32,000 people are

killed and 2 million are injured each year from motor vehicle crashes. Seatbelts saved over

12, 500 lives in the US during 2013, yet about half of drivers or passengers who died in

crashes in the US were not buckled up

CDC Director, Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D. stated, “We know seat belts save lives, these findings

remind us that no matter what kind of road you are traveling on, it is important for

everyone to buckle up every time on every trip.”

For further information, please contact:

Travel Safe Directors of Communication
Alexis Judkins, Sharon Hill, and Christopher Murphy
579 Castle Lake Rd.
Birmingham, AL
Phone: 205-222-6878
Email: Travelsafe@jeffco.com
 Sources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). Motor Crash Deaths. Retrieved from:

https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/motor-vehicle-safety/index.html

United States Department of Transportation. (2018). The National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration. Buckle up it could save your life. Retrieved from

https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/buckle-it-could-save-your-life

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Rural Americans less likely to wear

seat belts, more likely to die in crashes. Retrieved from

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p0921-rural-seat-belts.html