Do you remember to buckle up as a passenger?

Many times when you go out with your friends, another person may offer to drive. Because you certainly enjoy having the ability to relax and save money on gas, you likely often take individuals up on this offer. What you may not fully realize, however, is that when you get into a vehicle as a passenger, you place your safety and life in the hands of the person driving the vehicle.

Even if you know the driver well and trust his or her skills, you could still end up being involved in a serious car accident. As a result, you may suffer serious injuries that take a considerable amount of time to recover from. There are several ways you can protect yourself while riding in someone else’s car, and one of the best safety measures to always wear your seat belt.

Why should you use a seat belt?

When you get behind the wheel to drive, you likely don’t think twice about buckling up. However, for some reason, when you get into a vehicle as a passenger, you may need a reminder to fasten your seat belt. Whether driving or riding in the passenger seat, buckling up increases your safety. Numerous reasons exist for using your seat belt, including:

• Without seat belts, passengers can become projectiles. As a result, they can suffer serious injuries and injure others.
• Wearing a seat belt can also help prevent you from being ejected in an accident.
• Individuals in the rear seats of a vehicle have a 44 percent greater chance of surviving an accident. For rear-seated passengers in vans or SUVs, that percentage increases to 73 percent.
• Using a seat belt can also increase the chances of surviving in a rollover accident. Individuals wearing seat belts in rollover crashes have a 45 percent greater chance of surviving, and that percentage increases to 60 percent when pickup trucks are involved.

Even in minor accidents, seat belts can help prevent more serious injuries from occurring. Therefore, buckling up as a driver or passenger should become your first instinct. Additionally, you may also want to remind your passengers to buckle up.

Have you suffered injuries in an accident?

If you were a passenger in a vehicle involved in an accident and you suffered serious injuries, you may wish to seek compensation for your injuries and other damages. Filing a personal injury claim against the driver considered to be at fault or other liable parties could help you pursue that restitution. It’s important to know that whether you were wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash could impact any potential monetary awards.