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A date night out on the town turned into tragedy last month, when a young couple was killed after a car accident involving a drunk driver. A 24-year-old woman, and 30-year-old man, were killed instantly when their Toyota was hit from behind. Neither driver nor passenger was wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, a mistake that may have contributed to the fatalities. Cape Coral personal injury attorneys say that seat belt safety is crucial for all drivers to avoid making tragic accidents even worse. 

According to the National Safety Council, a seat belt is the single most effective step a driver can take to ensure the safety of people in his or her car. Statistics show that wearing a seat belt could reduce the injuries sustained in a crash by almost 50 percent. Although drivers and passengers have no control over how others on the road will act, they can take every measure to prevent unsafe situations in their own vehicles. While seat belt use has been increasing, and nearly 88 percent of Americans report that they buckle up every time they are in the car, the lack of use among certain demographics—teenagers, commercial truck drivers, people driving late at night, and people who drive drunk, to name a few, is disconcerting. Reported seat belt use is also lower for those who are driving by themselves. These drivers put themselves and others at risk by refusing to use a seat belt.

Forty-nine states, and the District of Columbia, have laws making it mandatory for drivers and passengers to buckle up when they are out in a car. In Florida, it is a primary offense for drivers who are not wearing a seat belt in the front seat, meaning a police officer can pull over a car based on the driver’s lack of seat belt alone. The penalty for driving without a seat belt is a $30 fine. If the car has minor passengers who are not properly buckled in, a $60 fine can be assessed.

The young woman and man were not following Florida’s laws when they were hit; the allegedly drunk and underage driver hit their Corolla with his Charger while the couple was stopped at a red light. The driver of the other car, had no idea that he had hit their car. He suffered minor injuries, and is now facing charges for DUI manslaughter. Without the protective restraint of their seat belts, the unsuspecting duo sustained fatal injuries in the accident.

The driver who causes an accident by rear-ending another driver is usually to blame for an accident, because he has failed to keep a safe distance between his car and the others on the road. The suspected presence of alcohol in the driver makes it more likely that he will be charged with negligence, especially if his blood alcohol content is above the legal limits. But the failure to wear a seat belt compromised the safety of both victims even before they were in the accident. Randall Spivey encourages everyone to make an effort to wear their seat belt every time they are in a vehicle.

At the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., the experienced team of Cape Coral personal injury attorneys offers legal counsel and advice to anyone who has been injured in a car accident.