DC Metro Area Personal Injury Law Blog

According to a recent comprehensive study of nearly 300,000 fatal accident crashes over seven years, from data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drivers of vehicles involved in head-on collisions are twice as likely to die in an accident if the backseat passenger is not wearing a seatbelt and the passenger is three times more likely to die from the accident.  In this scenario, the backseat passenger essentially becomes a "backseat bullet," increasing the risk of death significantly for both the driver and the passenger.  The lead author of the study, James Mayrose, Ph.D., further described the situation, " The unrestrained occupant is thrown into the seat  in front of him, forcing the driver into the steering column and dashboard."

The research was conducted by Center for Transportation Injury Research (CenTIR), affiliated with the University of Buffalo and the Calspan UB Research Center.   In addition to the increased risk of death to the driver, the research results showed that there was a four-fold increase in the maximum force to both the head and chest of the driver when the backseat passenger was unbelted.  These tests were conducted at the CenTIR testing complex in Buffalo, using instrumented crash test dummies. 

Another member of the group, Dietrich Jehle, associate professor of emergency medicine and Erie County Medical Center site director of CenTIR, emphasized, "It is estimated that if we approached a rear seat-belt usage rate of 95 percent, more than 800 lives would be saved and more than 65,000 injuries prevented in the U.S. This would represent savings of approximately $3.8 billion per year in the U.S." 

Jehle added, "Less than one-third of states require adults sitting in the backseat to wear seat belts, We hope our findings will prompt drivers to make sure that all backseat occupants are properly restrained.  If all rear-seat passengers would buckle up, thousands of lives and billions of dollars could be saved."

If you or a family member has suffered injuries in connection with an automobile accident, please contact us on-line at Regan Zambri & Long or call us at 202-463-3030 for a free consultation.  If you would like to receive our electronic newsletter, please click here.