New York cops will be out in full force this Memorial Day weekend, but a local emergency medicine specialist says there is a better reason to make sure you buckle up before setting out on the road.
Driving without a seatbelt can be deadly, says Michael Guttenberg, DO, director of emergency medicine at Forest Hills Hospital and a former paramedic, who has seen ‘countless’ lives lost due to not wearing one.
“Rollover motor vehicle accidents, with people being ejected, it just doesn’t happen when you wear a seatbelt,” said Dr. Guttenberg.
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According to the National Traffic Safety Association, about 29 percent of people who forgo wearing seatbelts will be thrown from the car in crash.
In addition, those not using a seat belt can also be injured from blunt force trauma by impacting with objects within the car such as the steering wheel.
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And just as import as wearing seatbelts is wearing them properly, the doctor says.
“The way they’re designed to be worn is over the pelvis and across the chest, not under the arm and sort of sitting up on your lower abdomen,” he said.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that state and local police will be aggressively enforcing state seatbelt laws through May 31 as part of a nationwide seatbelt campaign dubbed “Click It or Ticket.”
The timing of the seatbelt crackdown comes as thousands of New Yorkers will be heading out on the highways this coming holiday weekend.
Dr. Guttenberg says that being mindful of buckling up begins before you pull out of the driveway.
“I think people tend to get lax when they do short trips thinking nothing can happen. They think, ‘I’m going to be in the car for five minutes,” said Dr. Guttenberg.
“Most accidents happen within 20 to 25 miles of your home, so people need to exercise seat belt due diligence locally in addition to the long distance trips.”