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A study by Old Dominion University revealed that Virginia drivers are buckling up at a rate of 81.8 percent. It is a slight improvement from the 2010 number of 80.5 percent, according to a report on the study at londontimes.com. The results seem to show in crash statistics, as there were 740 traffic deaths in the state last year. That is the lowest annual car crash fatality rate since 1966.
A spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles said that seatbelts are a driver’s best chance of survival during a car accident. Despite the view that seatbelts restrict a driver’s movement, seatbelts increase your chances of survival significantly, added the spokesperson. Numbers from the Virginia Police Department show that people wearing seatbelts are 40 percent less likely to die in a car wreck.
Buckling up also sets a good example for children, according to experts, as kids are more likely to use seatbelts when they see adults do the same. In conjunction with airbags, seatbelts are lifesavers. Not everyone is getting the message, though. So far this year in Virginia, of 448 traffic deaths, 194 of those victims were not seat belted. Call our office today to learn more.
Koonz McKenney Johnson & DePaolis LLP
Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia Injury Attorneys
Approved by attorney Thomas McWeeny