Persuasive Essay

Safely Secured

Every 14 seconds someone is seriously injured and every 12 minutes someone is killed because they forgot, or refused, to do one simple thing: wear a seatbelt. Making the choice to fasten your seatbelt when you operate or become a passenger in an automobile is for sure one of the most important choices one needs to make every day. I understand the devastating consequences one will face if he or she makes the choice to not fasten their seatbelt or not fasten it properly.

The first important aspect of wearing a seatbelt is they are only effective when worn correctly. One must never tuck the shoulder strap under one’s arm or behind one’s back. Doing this removes the seatbelts important restraining capabilities and can also cause injuries that wouldn’t occur if the seatbelt is worn properly. If the car being driven has automatic seatbelts one must always remember to fasten the lap belt. Not fastening the lap belt increases your chances of receiving spine, head or neck injuries.

People choose not to wear seatbelts for various reasons. Many people do not put their seatbelt on while making short trips, such as taking a quick trip to the gas station across the street. This is a horrendous mistake. In fact, a majority of accidents happen within 25 miles from one’s home. Often individuals buckle up only when the weather is bad or they are not familiar with the roads- but most accidents occur at moderate speeds and on roads that are very familiar to the driver.

The New York Times states that if the United States could convince 85% of its population to always wear their seat belts, we could prevent approximately 3,194 fatalities and 102,518 injuries a year. This would save $6.7 billion dollars annually. Each serious injury prevented by seatbelts saves on average $35,000 in health care costs; 74% of which comes out of the pockets of American taxpayers.

Along with massive medical