Southeastern Utah District Health Department Press Release
This year has flown by and Thanksgiving is already right around the corner. For many of us, this means traveling to spend the holiday with friends and family, near and far.
The Utah Safety Council wants to remind everyone that no matter how far you’re driving this Thanksgiving, whether it’s down the road to a friend’s house, across town to pick up a pumpkin pie, or hundreds of miles to see a favorite relative, you could be involved in a crash. If you or anyone in your vehicle are not wearing your seat belts, you’re at a much greater risk of being killed.
Thanksgiving weekend is one of the busiest travel times of the year. More cars on the road mean more crashes. More crashes means more fatalities. Many motor vehicle crash fatalities can be prevented by seat belt use.
In Utah, it is estimated that more than 100 lives are saved each year and an additional 50 lives could have been saved if seat belts had been worn.
The Utah Safety Council is once again joining safety advocates nationwide to spread the message about the importance of seat belts to prevent these tragedies from occurring. Wear your seat belt every time, whether you’re the driver or a passenger, front seat or back. It’s the best way to protect yourself from injury or death in a crash.
NHTSA estimates that proper seat belt use reduces the risk of fatal injury to front seat passengers by 45% and the risk of moderate to serious injury by 50%.
Our Thanksgiving wish this year is that everyone would realize the life-saving benefit of wearing a seat belt. In less time than it takes you to slice that pie, pass the gravy, or call someone to say “Happy Thanksgiving,” you can do something powerful, smart and effective. Buckle up, every trip, every time. You will be thankful you did.