Missouri state police in St. Joseph and the rest of northwestern Missouri are in the middle of a public safety campaign to make sure drivers in the area are buckling up. The goal is to reduce the severity of car accidents and save lives.
Troop H’s “Click It or Ticket” Campaign
In the past week, Troop H – which covers the northwestern portion of the state, including St. Joseph – has been conducting a “Click It or Ticket” campaign. Starting on November 10, troopers have been pulling over motorists for minor vehicle violations, especially for not wearing a seatbelt.
Since the campaign began, officers in Troop H have written 33 citations and 86 warnings. The police department hopes that these tickets and warnings increase awareness – hopefully, they will remind Missouri drivers that buckling up makes them safer, or at least that driving without a seatbelt is against the law.
Fatal Accidents Have Increased in Northwestern Missouri
The instigator for the campaign has been an increase in fatal accidents in northwestern Missouri. Compared to this time, last year, road fatalities are up 9 percent across Missouri. However, in Troop H’s area, they are up 22 percent over the last year.
Police see a connection between those numbers and people who do not wear their seatbelts.
According to Sgt. Jake Angle, at one point, 70 percent of this year’s road fatalities in northwestern Missouri were unrestrained drivers and occupants.
Restrained Drivers Less Likely to be Severely Hurt
In a given year, around half of the people who die on the roadways are not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident. This is in spite of the fact that, nationally, only around 1 in 10 people drive without a seatbelt.
Therefore, people who are wearing their seatbelt are less likely to get seriously or fatally injured in a car crash.
The outcome should not be a surprise. Seatbelts keep drivers and passengers in their seats, where the other safety aspects of the car can better protect them. Unrestrained drivers, for example, do not benefit much at all from a fully-functional airbag if the impact of the crash sends them into the windshield. This is just one reason why it is not safer for a driver to be ejected during a crash.
Car Accident Lawyers at the Smith Law Office Serve St. Joseph
Wearing a seatbelt is one of the easiest and most reliable ways to protect yourself during a car accident. Because it is so hard to predict when they will happen, putting your seatbelt on as soon as you start the car is essential.
If you are involved in a car accident and get hurt, you need legal help to ensure you get the compensation you need. The personal injury lawyers at the Smith Law Office serve car crash victims in northwestern Missouri, including in St. Joseph, Springfield, and Kansas City. Contact them online or call their law office at (816) 875-9373.