Backseat passengers still need to buckle up

By Alex Cosmer

Mike Farwell was in the backseat of a Ford Explorer and not wearing a seatbelt when the SUV struck a tree.

Farwell considers himself to be fortunate.

“I guess I am lucky I hit the back seat and landed on the center console,” Farwell said. “A broken nose was probably the best outcome compared to what could have happened.”

National figures show, it can save your life.


According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a passenger who is traveling in the backseat at the time of their car accident, wearing a seat belt is 44 percent more effective at preventing death than riding unrestrained. For those riding in the rear of vans and sport-utility vehicles (SUVs) during a car crash, rear seat belts are 73 percent better at preventing fatalities.

“You are going to be like a missile,” Easton Police Chief Allan Krajcik said.

Krajick recalls one serious crash involving a passenger who wasn't wearing a seat belt.

“A kid was in the back seat at the time of the accident and he was tossed out the back window,” Krajick said.

Not wearing a seatbelt remains the leading cause in accidents resulting in deaths.

Fifty five percent of those killed in passenger vehicle occupant crashes were not wearing a seat belt, according to NHTSA.

People should wear a seatbelt no matter where in the car they are.

“It is absolutely as important,” Krajcik said.

There have been various programs for the public, especially for the youth, to start wearing a seatbelt.

Click it or ticket is a campaign from the NHTSA to increase the use of seat belts. Drivers or passengers will be given a ticket if they fail to abide.

“I have seen an increase in citations and usage,” Krajcik said. “ I believe it is a direct result of click it or ticket push.”