Wyoming Fatalities Linked To Lack Of Seatbelt Use

Have you ever decided to go for a drive with your friends and family and think to yourself, “I’m fine without my seatbelt.”  “It’s just a quick trip into town.”  “It’s not worth the hassle of making sure everyone is buckled up.”  “They are all adults, and it is not my responsibility.” 

This is a thought most of us have experienced.  We all think it’s a quick trip and nothing will happen.  Would you be surprised if you knew the lack of seatbelt use is the leading cause of fatalities so far this year?  Would you be surprised if family members told you their son, daughter, husband, or wife who was killed were always safety oriented and wore their seatbelts?  However, this one day they failed to buckle up.  You are probably left with the question, “Why, why this day?”

“Troopers continue to educate the public about how much safer they are wearing a seatbelt if involved in an injury collision,” said Sgt. Jeremy Beck with the Wyoming Highway Patrol.   “Seatbelts can and do save lives.  We see it daily when investigating motor vehicle collisions.”

We all know someone who tries to create the argument about it being safer not to wear a seatbelt and the anomaly of someone living because they were unbuckled.  This is not always true, and the facts prove it.

Since the beginning of 2019, we have lost 38 lives on Wyoming’s roadways, and 17 of those motorists were not wearing a seatbelt.  This number does not have to be this high.   

Wear your seatbelt, never drive distracted, and slow down for hazardous road conditions. Remember when we lose a life its someone’s father, mother, son, daughter, or family member who is still expecting them to come home.  The responsibility rests solely on each of us to create a safer Wyoming.

The Wyoming Highway Patrol is committed to ensuring public safety when traveling on Wyoming’s roadways, but we need everyone’s help to succeed.