persuasive essay seat belt

Seatbelt Use as a Part of the Safe Driving Experience Essay (Speech)

Introduction, seatbelts and protection, seatbelts and the law.

People consider cars to be a comfortable and safe method of transportation. However, car accidents have become one of the major causes of death and injury in the modern world. Contemporary cars have numerous tools in place to protect people during traffic accidents, including airbags and seatbelts. Using a seatbelt can save a person’s life in the most dangerous situations, but many people still refuse or forget to wear a seatbelt. As this presentation will seek to show, driving with a seatbelt is much safer, and people should wear it every time they are in a car.

Statistics on traffic accidents highlight the dangers of cars as a means of transportation. Based on the report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2017), traffic accidents are the main cause of death among people under the age of 30. Each year, over 2 million people seek emergency aid in hospitals following a car accident (CDC, 2017). A significant share of injuries is serious or even fatal. In 2016, 37,461 people were killed in car accidents, and the fatality rate per 100,000 of the population was 11.06 (U.S. Department of Transportation, 2018). Between 2002 and 2011, over 9,000 children died in motor vehicle crashes, and one-third of them were not wearing a seatbelt (CDC, 2017). The total economic cost of motor vehicle crashes is $242 billion, and seatbelt nonuse contributes at least $10.4 billion to this estimate (U.S. DOT, 2018). Consequently, people who forget to use seatbelts or do not use them intentionally contribute both to the economic costs of vehicle crashes and to fatality and injury rates.

Seatbelts protect people in a car by restraining the body and preventing the person from moving inside the car. This helps to ensure that the person is protected from falling out and that they can benefit from the airbags, which are located in specific places next to the seats. By not wearing a seatbelt, a person risks hurting themselves more on impact, which leads to an increased chance of death or severe injury. Based on the estimates of the U.S. Department of Transportation (2018), wearing a seatbelt helped to save 14,668 people aged five and older in 2016. This means that consistent use of seatbelts could reduce fatality and injury rates from motor vehicle crashes.

In many states, people who do not wear seatbelts face not only health risks but also legal and financial charges. As reported by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA, 2019), “34 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands have primary seat belt laws for front-seat occupants” (para. 1). Seatbelt use among rear-seat passengers is also enforced in 30 U.S. states, District Columbia, and two territories through either primary or secondary laws (GHSA, 2019). Some states also have specific laws that enforce seat belt use for children and young adults. Failing to abide by these laws can result in fines, reduced insurance payments, and more serious consequences if the offense is repeated.

Overall, car accidents are dangerous for drivers and passengers alike, and they contribute to deaths among people in the United States and all over the globe. Protection tools, including seatbelts, can reduce the risk of serious injury and thus help to save lives. Wearing a seatbelt at all times is also necessary to avoid fines and decreased insurance payouts following a traffic accident. By not wearing a seatbelt, people risk their lives and health and contribute to the financial burden of motor vehicle crashes.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Motor vehicle injuries . Web.

Governors Highway Safety Association. (2019). State laws by issue – Seat belts . Web.

U.S. Department of Transportation. (2018). Summary of motor vehicle crashes . Web.

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IvyPanda. (2022, December 7). Seatbelt Use as a Part of the Safe Driving Experience. https://ivypanda.com/essays/seatbelt-use-persuasive-speech/

"Seatbelt Use as a Part of the Safe Driving Experience." IvyPanda , 7 Dec. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/seatbelt-use-persuasive-speech/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'Seatbelt Use as a Part of the Safe Driving Experience'. 7 December.

IvyPanda . 2022. "Seatbelt Use as a Part of the Safe Driving Experience." December 7, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/seatbelt-use-persuasive-speech/.

1. IvyPanda . "Seatbelt Use as a Part of the Safe Driving Experience." December 7, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/seatbelt-use-persuasive-speech/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Seatbelt Use as a Part of the Safe Driving Experience." December 7, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/seatbelt-use-persuasive-speech/.

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Persuasive Essay on Seatbelt Laws

Seatbelts are safe and seatbelt laws should be enforced. Seatbelts are helpful in many ways, keeping you safe, averting bad injuries, and helping you not get a ticket for not wearing a seatbelt.

Seat Belts can legitimacy save lives, 85% of lives have been saved because of seatbelts. For example, in paragraph 5 of “Seatbelts Save Lives” it states, “Simply put, seat belts are life savers according to the National highway traffic safety administration, seat belts saved 12, 713 lives during 2009. If everyone involved in accidents had worn seat belts that year, 3,688 more would have survived.” Seatbelts had saved over 12,500 lives because they wore seatbelts. People that didn't wear them had mostly died, if someone didn't die then they probably had a really bad injury.

A long time ago seat belts actually weren't installed in cars, people thought that they were captivating their freedom. In addition, in paragraph 1 of “Repel seat belt laws”  it states, “America is a free country. Even very young children say this is so.” America is nonetheless a free country, but America enforces laws. They enforce laws that keep us safe, that keep other people safe. Furthermore, in “Repel seatbelt laws” on paragraph 1 it states, “ Among the worst of these are seat belt laws. State governments should repel them as soon as possible.” Seat belts may be annoying but they take away our right to make choices and decisions, but if people want to live or not pay the hospital bill and be in debt forever, wear your seat belt.

These things may be true, but seat belts are uncomfortable and people who have been in an accident with no seatbelt have reported they've received no major injuries to their body in any way. For example, in paragraph 2 of “Repeal Seatbelt laws” it states, “people who claim that seat belts trap people in wrecked cars can point to only a handful of actual examples as proof.” While some people get in accidents, sometimes they can't get out of the car. In addition, in paragraph 5 of “Repel seatbelt laws” it states, “ Some insurance companies raise  for law violations, even for drivers who have never driven recklessly or caused an accident.” People who never caused an accident or drove recklessly still get a fee for not wearing a seatbelt. Furthermore in paragraph 4 of “ Seat belts laws save lives” it states, “ it is true that seat belts occasionally cause injury to the neck and torso, some people have been trapped inside burning cars by seat belts are dangerous to the human body and could leave someone on life threatening situations, but a lot more numbers show that people that have worn their seat belts have survived bad accidents.

Seat belts smay leave you trapped in a car or they may be uncomfortable, but nonetheless should people wear their seatbelts. Seatbelts save lives and they can prevent major injuries. This is important because you don't wanna pay huge hospital bills and be in major debt forever. Seatbelts were later installed in cars, this is important because doctors said that they were important. Seat belts are annoying and can cause injury to the human body. This is important because you don't wanna deal with seatbelts while you're driving that could cause an accident. Therefore, seat belt laws should be imposed in all states. Would you enforce seat belt laws?   

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