Buckle up and move over this holiday travel

It’s a simple task that can save your life, yet not everyone does it. We’re talking about buckling up when you get into a vehicle.

Nov. 14 was National Seat Belt Day and with the holiday season approaching and many people likely to be hitting the roads, we’d like to take this opportunity to remind you to fasten your seat belt, whether you’re driving or just a passenger.

In 2021, 90.4% of Americans buckled up and according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 15,000 lives are saved every year by wearing a seat belt. However, of the 23,824 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2020, 51% were not wearing seat belts — a 4% increase from 2019.

The consequences of not wearing, or improperly wearing, a seat belt are clear:

1. Buckling up helps keep you safe and secure inside your vehicle, whereas, not buckling up can result in being totally ejected from the vehicle in a crash, which is almost always deadly.

2. Airbags are not enough to protect you; in fact, the force of an airbag can seriously injure or even kill you if you’re not buckled up.

3. Improperly wearing a seat belt, such as putting the strap below your arm, puts you and your children at risk in a crash.

The benefits of buckling up are equally clear. If you buckle up in the front seat of a passenger car, you can reduce your risk of:

• Fatal injury by 45% (Kahane, 2015)

• Moderate to critical injury by 50%

If you buckle p in a light truck, you can reduce your risk of:

• Fatal injury by 60% (Kahane, 2015)

• Moderate to critical injury 65% (NHTSA, 1984)

We would be remiss if we didn’t also point out that this week is Crash Responder Safety Week. According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, last year there were over 1,000 instances when drivers in Colorado crashed into the scene of an already existing crash putting first responders and others at risk.

Crash Responder Safety Week (Nov. 14-18) provides an opportunity to recognize all those who are part of the traffic incident management response community, including law enforcement, medical personnel, and tow truck drivers. These emergency responders work to help save lives at the scene of traffic crashes, but are put in harm’s way by oncoming vehicles. Traffic-related incidents are the leading cause of death for on-duty law enforcement officers, fire, EMS, maintenance workers and tow/recovery professionals.

According to preliminary data from CDOT, in 2021 there were 1,153 reported secondary crashes on Colorado roads resulting in 588 injuries and 10 deaths. Such crashes happen when a vehicle runs into an already existing traffic crash on the roadway. These secondary crashes can be prevented if drivers slow down and use caution when approaching a crash scene.

Drivers are reminded that Colorado’s Move Over Law requires drivers to move over a lane and/or slow down when approaching stopped emergency or maintenance vehicles. The law stipulates that if a driver is unable to move at least one lane away from the stationary emergency vehicle, the driver must slow down to at least 25 miles per hour on roadways with a speed limit below 45 miles per hour. On roadways with speed limits of 45 miles per hour or more, motorists must slow down to 20 miles per hour less than the posted speed limit. Drivers that fail to slow down or move over commit the crime of careless driving, a class 2 misdemeanor traffic offense that can result in up to 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $300.

Across the country, 65 emergency responders working on the roadway were struck and killed in 2021. In Colorado, 11 State Patrol Troopers have lost their lives after being struck by passing motorists. Countless others have been left with life-altering injuries after being struck while responding to a traffic incident.

During the holiday travel season, and every season, be sure to buckle up and remember to move over for first responders so that you and others can spend time celebrating instead of mourning.