A 21-year-old Jacksonville man was fatally injured in a single-vehicle crash on the Southside Connector in the early morning hours of September 11, according to a report in News4Jax.com.
State troopers said the man was driving northbound in the right lane about 2:30 a.m. when he lost control of his car while rounding a curve north of Merrill Road.
The car went onto the right shoulder and began to spin. It then traveled onto the left shoulder area and into the grass median and ditch where it overturned and ended up on the Southside Connector’s southbound shoulder.
Troopers said the man was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident and was ejected from the car during the crash.
Fortunately, seat belt use is on the rise. According to the National Occupant Protection Use Survey, approximately 86 percent of Americans use their seat belts every time they drive, up from 84 percent in 2011. The Florida Department of Transportation’s annual survey of seat belt use estimates that 87 percent of drivers and passengers in the Sunshine State wore a seat belt in 2012.
Although seatbelt use is at an all-time high, some drivers and passengers still choose not to buckle up.
Certain groups are less likely to wear seat belts: teens, commercial drivers, males in rural areas, pick-up truck drivers, people driving at night, and people who have been drinking.
The NHTSA estimates more than 1,600 lives could be saved and 22,000 injuries prevented each year if 90 percent of drivers in every state wore seat belts.
Seat belt use has shown an increasing trend since 1994 and is one of the primary reasons cited for the steady decrease in traffic-related fatalities during the past couple of decades. Greater awareness, as well as initiatives like the “Click It or Ticket” campaign, which was originally created by the National Safety Council, are among the reasons for the increase in seatbelt usage.
The 2012 survey also found the following:
Seat belt use for occupants in the South increased significantly from 80 percent in 2011 to 85 percent in 2012.
Seat belt use continued to be higher in the states considered primary law states as compared with the states with weaker enforcement laws or without seat belt laws. Thirty-one states plus the District of Columbia are primary law states, which means that police can stop vehicles and write citations for failure to buckle up, while eighteen states have secondary enforcement, where police can issue a seat belt citation only after a vehicle is stopped for another reason.
Seat belt use increased significantly in 2012 as compared to 2011 among drivers, right-front passengers, occupants in primary law states as well as in secondary law states, and occupants traveling during weekends.
Forty-nine states and the District of Columbia have mandatory seat belt laws. Only New Hampshire has no laws mandating at least some seatbelt use. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has a state-by-state map of seat belt laws.
According to the NHTSA, in 2010 alone, seat belts saved an estimated 12,546 lives.
The attorneys at The Law Firm of Pajcic & Pajcic urge everyone to wear seat belts each and every time they are in a vehicle, whether in the front seat or back and whether they are a driver or a passenger, no matter how far it is they may be traveling.
If you or a loved one has been in an accident and need the assistance of an experienced, accomplished attorney, contact us by calling 855-402-5019 or fill out our online contact form to receive a free review of your case.
A 21-year-old Jacksonville man was fatally injured in a single-vehicle crash on the Southside Connector in the early morning hours of September 11, according to a report in News4Jax.com.
State troopers said the man was driving northbound in the right lane about 2:30 a.m. when he lost control of his car while rounding a curve north of Merrill Road.
The car went onto the right shoulder and began to spin. It then traveled onto the left shoulder area and into the grass median and ditch where it overturned and ended up on the Southside Connector’s southbound shoulder.
Troopers said the man was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident and was ejected from the car during the crash.
Fortunately, seat belt use is on the rise. According to the National Occupant Protection Use Survey, approximately 86 percent of Americans use their seat belts every time they drive, up from 84 percent in 2011. The Florida Department of Transportation’s annual survey of seat belt use estimates that 87 percent of drivers and passengers in the Sunshine State wore a seat belt in 2012.
Although seatbelt use is at an all-time high, some drivers and passengers still choose not to buckle up.
Certain groups are less likely to wear seat belts: teens, commercial drivers, males in rural areas, pick-up truck drivers, people driving at night, and people who have been drinking.
The NHTSA estimates more than 1,600 lives could be saved and 22,000 injuries prevented each year if 90 percent of drivers in every state wore seat belts.
Seat belt use has shown an increasing trend since 1994 and is one of the primary reasons cited for the steady decrease in traffic-related fatalities during the past couple of decades. Greater awareness, as well as initiatives like the “Click It or Ticket” campaign, which was originally created by the National Safety Council, are among the reasons for the increase in seatbelt usage.
The 2012 survey also found the following:
Forty-nine states and the District of Columbia have mandatory seat belt laws. Only New Hampshire has no laws mandating at least some seatbelt use. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has a state-by-state map of seat belt laws.
According to the NHTSA, in 2010 alone, seat belts saved an estimated 12,546 lives.
The attorneys at The Law Firm of Pajcic & Pajcic urge everyone to wear seat belts each and every time they are in a vehicle, whether in the front seat or back and whether they are a driver or a passenger, no matter how far it is they may be traveling.
If you or a loved one has been in an accident and need the assistance of an experienced, accomplished attorney, contact us by calling 855-402-5019 or fill out our online contact form to receive a free review of your case.
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