Dangers of Not Buckling Up In the Back Seat In Florida

Many people understand the importance of children being buckled up and the importance of anyone riding in the front seats being buckled up, but for some reason do not put the same emphasis on passengers in the back seat buckling their seat belt. There seems to be some thought that back seat passengers are safe enough and do not need the extra protection provided by a seat belt. Research has shown that this is simply not the case. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has found that unbuckled passengers in the back seat are eight times as likely to be injured or killed than buckled back seat passengers in the event of a crash.

Less Standard Safety Features In Back Seats

The belief that the back seat is safer than the front is a hold-over from when that was true. However, many advancements have been made, and most newer cars have standard safety features to protect front-seat passengers, such as:

• Air Bags: Airbags are not just in the dashboard anymore, but many cars have them in the front door side panels to provide protection in case of side impact.
• Thicker Doors: Doors have become thicker to provide additional protection.
• Improved Seat Belt Technology: Front-row seat belts have become more advanced. They now have features that minimize slack from the belt in case of an accident, and they can reduce the force experienced by the wearer in a crash. 

While most of these features are available for rear-seat passengers, they typically are not standard, and the car purchaser must pay more for them. 

Unbuckled Passengers May Cause Injury to Self & Others

When you are unbuckled in the back seat, and there is a collision, your body becomes a missile of sorts. Two scenarios may occur:

• Your body may fly forward into the seat in front of you, causing that person to not only have the force of the initial impact to deal with but also the additional force caused by your slamming into them. 
• Crash test studies have shown that back seat passengers who don’t wear seat belts often fly up and over the seat in front of them. When this happens, they are likely to collide with the dashboard or the steering wheel with forceful impact.

Ejection From the Vehicle in A Rollover Accident

Yet another reason why rear-seat passengers should wear a seat belt is because unbelted passengers are very likely to be ejected in case of a rollover accident. 

A Personal Injury Law Firm That Stands Beside You

If you or a loved one has been injured in a care accident, you need personalized attention from an experienced personal injury attorney. At Martin Law Firm, P.L., our knowledgeable attorneys assist clients in recovering all the compensation they are due. You may reach us by calling 239-323-9820 or via our contact page.