By Staff Reports
(Oahu)– From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.
Riding unrestrained can leave a person stuck in a hospital bed – or worse. Researcher Laurie Beck of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracks the use of seat belts.
“Although most people now wear seat belts, there are still millions of people who are taking unnecessary risks by traveling unrestrained.”
Beck says usage has been increasing, and 87 percent of adults use seat belts these days. But she says people who live in rural areas, men, teens, young adults, and nighttime travelers are less likely to buckle up.
Not buckling up is illegal in most states, and it’s also dangerous in a crash. Beck says seat belts cut the risk of serious injury or death by about half. She says it’s the most effective protection you can have in a vehicle if it crashes.
Learn more at healthfinder.gov.
HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.