You’ve been hearing about how seat belts can save your life since you were a little kid. And you know that each state requires people to wear seat belts. But do you know all the ways wearing a seat belt can save you money and protect your friends and family?
For starters, wearing a seat belt can save you money, a lot of money, and we’re just not talking about saving money on tickets for not wearing a seat belt. If you’re in a car accident and you’re not wearing a seat belt, you could have thousands, if not hundreds of thousands in medical bills. You could also lose a lot of time off work and have future medical bills to pay. If a seat belt prevents these costly injuries, you just saved a small or a large fortune!
More Reasons to Wear a Seat Belt
Here are some reasons to wear a seat belt that you may not have considered before:
- When you’re in a rollover crash and you’re not wearing a seat belt, you’re far more likely to be ejected and die than if you were buckled up. The best way to survive a rollover crash is to wear a seat belt.
- Some other drivers are dangerous. They may text while driving, fall asleep at the wheel, or drive while impaired. If one of these drivers hits you and you’re not wearing a seat belt, you have a much higher chance of suffering serious, if not life-threatening injuries.
- The local police officers and South Carolina Highway Patrol officers are on high alert for people who aren’t buckled up. Do you really want to run the risk of getting a ticket because you didn’t feel like buckling up?
- In the newer vehicles, when people don’t buckle up the car sounds this annoying ding-ding sound. Fortunately, buckling up is the easiest way for you to stop it.
- Airbags are great, but they do NOT replace seat belts. In fact, they supplement or complement seat belts. If an airbag goes off and you’re not buckled up, your risk of sustaining spinal cord injuries increases.
South Carolina’s Seat Belt Laws
“South Carolina’s safety belt law requires that every driver and every occupant of a motor vehicle when it is being operated on the public streets and highways of this State, must wear a fastened safety belt that complies with all provisions of federal law for its use.
“The driver is charged with the responsibility of requiring every occupant 17 years of age or younger to wear a safety belt or be secured in a child restraint system as required by law. However, a driver is not responsible for an occupant 17 years of age or younger who has a driver’s license, special restricted license, or beginner’s permit and who is not wearing a safety belt,” according to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety.