Traveling in a car can sometimes be dangerous. There is one thing Texan drivers can do to save their life.

We hear all the time all the things we need to add to our car to save our lives but there is one really important thing that works best.

Yes, you guessed it a seat belt. It is already in your car and most people that die or get really hurt in a car is because they aren't wearing a seat belt/

Seat belts reduce the risk that you will die in an auto accident by 45 percent when you are in the front seat of a passenger car and by 60 percent when you are in a pickup truck according to TxDOT.

Texas Seat Belt Data:

Unfortunately, seat belt use remains low among Texas teen drivers and passengers. In 2022, 51% (162 of 320) of teens killed in vehicle crashes were not wearing seat belts.  In 2022 there were 1,258 people killed who were not wearing their seat belt, a 2.5% increase from the year before.

National Seat Belt Data:

The national use rate was at 91.9% in 2023 according to the NHTSA. Seat belt use in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 14,955 lives in 2017. 2,549
additional lives could have been saved in 2017 if they would have buckled up.

In 2021, 26,325 passenger vehicle occupants were killed. About 50% of those killed were not buckled.

1. If you buckle up in the front seat of a passenger car, you can reduce your risk of:
   • Fatal injury by 45% (Kahane, 2015)
   • Moderate to critical injury by 50%
2. If you buckle up in a light truck, you can reduce your risk of:
   • Fatal injury by 60% (Kahane, 2015)
   • Moderate to critical injury by 65% (NHTSA, 1984)

Plus it's the law! In Texas, the law requires everyone in a vehicle to buckle up or face fines and court costs of up to $200.