The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) is kicking off the summer driving season with a period of increased enforcement of the Click It or Ticket seat belt campaign. The goal is to reduce highway fatalitiesand injuries, which increase during the summer months.
According to the director of the GOHS, more than half of people who die in Georgia car accidents are not wearing seat belts at the time. Many of those, the director believes, would likely have survived if they had bucked up.
The period of increased enforcement will end on June 4, but that does not mean that police will not still be on the lookout for people who are not wearing seat belts. The fine for not wearing a seat belt is $15 and the fine for not securing a child is $25, but don’t let these low costs fool you – a car accident with a seat belt has a much higher cost.
Seat Belt Statistics
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), seat belts reduce serious crash-related injuries and deaths by around 50 percent. In 2014, seat belts saved 12,802 lives. While air bags provide a layer of added protection for drivers and passengers, they do not provide as much protection as seat belts do. Both working in combination with each other provide the greatest degree of injury prevention.
In Georgia, anyone between the ages of six and 17 must wear a seat belt while in a car, with few exceptions. At 18 and older, drivers and front seat passengers are required to wear a seat belt, but adults in back seats are not. However, it is still wise to do so – passengers in the back seat who are unbuckled are three times more likely to die in crashes than those who are belted in.
