Wearing a seat belt could mean the difference between life or death. That’s the important safety message coming from Hamilton County Deputies, who will be on the lookout for unrestrained motorists over the next several weeks.
Operation Belt Up will begin on Thursday, Oct. 22 and finish on Sunday, Nov. 29. The overtime patrols, which will be taking place in the top 30 Indiana counties for unrestrained crashes, are paid for with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration funds, administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.
Quakenbush
“We see the results of not wearing a seat belt all the time, and it’s heartbreaking,” Sheriff Dennis Quakenbush said. “Motorists are 12 times more likely to be killed if they are unrestrained. Buckling up is not just an important, life-saving strategy – it’s the law.”
Last year, out of the total number of motorists involved in passenger vehicle crashes, 90 percent were wearing a seat belt. Despite this, unrestrained motorists accounted for over half of all vehicle fatalities in 2019 (308 out of 565), according to data from the criminal justice institute.
Drivers under the age 34, particularly young male drivers, were more likely to be found not wearing a seat belt. Additionally, individuals not buckled up in crashes were three times more likely to get injured when the driver was speeding and seven times more likely when the driver was impaired.
“Wearing a seat belt is the easiest and single most effective thing you can do to protect yourself on the road,” ICJI Executive Director Devon McDonald said. “Make it the first thing you do every time you get into a vehicle. It could just save your life.”
Indiana law requires everyone in the vehicle, drivers and passengers, to wear a seat belt. Children under eight must be properly restrained in in a federally-approved child or booster seat.
To make sure everyone is buckled up properly, the department recommends making sure the lap belt is properly secured across the hip and pelvis, below the stomach. The shoulder belt should be positioned across the middle of the chest and away from the neck – never behind the back or under an arm.
If the seat belt doesn’t fit, or the car is older and only has lap belts, ask the car dealer or vehicle manufacturer about seat belt adjusters, extenders or retrofits.
Parents and caregivers can choose the safest car seat for their child by visiting TheRightSeat.com, or to find a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician, who can inspect and assist with the installation of a car seat, visit childseat.in.gov.
Click here to learn more about Hamilton County Traffic Safety Partnership.