Seatbelts are essential safety equipment

Putting the seatbelt on when entering a vehicle is an automatic response for most people. We get in, reach up to grab the belt, pull it across, and plug it in without ever really thinking about it. However, not everybody has developed this critical habit. 

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, of the 37,133 Americans killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2017, 47% were not wearing seatbelts.

Wearing a seatbelt is required by law for a simple reason: It protects against serious injury and death. In fact, seatbelts are so effective, that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, wearing them can reduce the risk of dying in a crash by up to 45%—and that doesn’t even address the positive impact seatbelts have on major and minor injuries from crashes.

Whether your trip is a long-haul load to another time zone or a short drive to the other side of the worksite, wear your seatbelt any time your vehicle is being moved. And be sure your passengers do, too. Most accidents occur on two-lane roads within just a few miles from start/ stop destinations.

Seatbelt use may not seem complicated, yet Oregon workplace fatalities are largely due to vehicle crashes. For your safety, take a few seconds to buckle up.

For more on this topic, visit saif.com/truckingsafety.