Mandatory Seat Belt Laws

Car accidents are the leading cause of death and injury in the United States of both adults and children. Seat belts were invented for the purpose to help reduce death and injuries. An airbag is not as effective if it was not for a seat belt. “In the United States, a mandatory seat belt law was first enacted in New York in 1984. Lund et al. [6] found a nine percent decline in traffic fatalities in the first nine months when New York enacted mandatory seat belt law.” (Dissanayake 32) There are two types of mandatory laws, Primary Seat Belt Law and Secondary Seat Belt Law. Depending on the child’s age and weight determines how they should be buckled in. “The lifetime medical cost of crash injuries was estimated to be $18.4 billion: $7.7 billion for treated and released patients and $10.7 for hospitalized patients.” (Bergen 895) The two types of mandatory seat belt laws are primary and secondary. The Primary Seat Belt law is that a police officer can pull you over and give you a ticket for not having a seat belt on. The Secondary Seat Belt Law is the opposite. A police officer can only give you a ticket for not having a seat belt on if you are pulled over for some other
Most cars today are made to be very safety conscience due to the increase in law suits and medical cost when accidents do happen. When crash related victims have to go the emergency room at the local hospital, it can cost anywhere from a $2000 to over $60,000 if you are admitted for treatment. (Bergen 897) That doesn’t include ambulance transportation, x-rays, medication and more. This obviously creates stress among individuals and families that are responsible for the payments long after the victim is better. If you wear your seatbelt, more often than not, these injuries are minor and do not require hospital