Washington Injury Law Blog

In Washington everyone is required to wear a seat belt while traveling in a motor vehicle. When you fail to wear a seat belt and you’re in a car accident bad things can happen. Yesterday, a 61 year-old woman suffered fatal injuries following a car accident she was in while not wearing a seat belt. Traffic on I-520 stopped quickly and she was thrown into the windshield and steering wheel suffering head and rib injuries. A tragic death that was preventable.

According to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission between 1996 and 2006, there were, on average, 551 motor vehicle occupants killed each year on Washington roadways.  State data shows that, on average, only 45% of these people were wearing seat belts, while nearly 85% of those who were unhurt WERE wearing seat belts. Research conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that a seat belt increases a person’s chance of surviving a collision by 45% and a seat belt reduces your risk of being seriously injured by 69%. The data is clear: seat belts save lives.

It’s winter now in Washington and the weather conditions have been a bit crazy. Please protect yourself by wearing your seat belt!