Troubling Statistics About Teens and Seat Belt Use in Florida

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on February 15, 2011

Orlando personal injury attorney James O. Cunningham assists auto accident victims in his law offices every day and sees first-hand what can happen when drivers and passengers of all ages fail to buckle up. Any loss of life or serious injury in an auto accident is tragic, but when the life of a teenager is lost or forever changed by failing to wear a seat belt, he can only wonder what would have happened if only the victim had used a seat belt.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Florida ranks second in the nation after Texas for the number of drivers and passengers killed in auto accidents because they weren’t wearing seat belts. Drivers and passengers 15 to 20 years old are especially unlikely to buckle up while riding in a vehicle. Although they comprise only six percent of all drivers in the U.S., people in this age group represent 19 percent of all auto accident fatalities. Other troubling statistics concerning drivers and passengers in this age group include the following:

•    Nearly two in three passenger deaths (63 percent) involving teenage drivers are also teens.

•    Auto accidents are this age group’s leading cause of death.

•    Nearly one in four teenage drivers killed in auto accidents have a blood alcohol content higher than the legal limit for adults of 0.08 percent, and most of these fatalities are male. There is no legal blood alcohol limit for those under 21 years of age.

•    If passengers of all ages wore their seat belts in 2004, 5,839 auto accident fatalities could have been prevented.

•    Six out of every 10 children killed in auto accidents were not wearing a seat belt.

Orlando personal injury lawyer James O. Cunningham has been helping auto accident victims since 1977. While seat belt use has risen steadily over the years, he knows there is plenty of room for improvement. If you have experienced injury in an auto accident and have questions about your rights and legal options, call him today at 888-425-2004 or 407-425-2000 to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case. Mr. Cunningham is a fierce advocate for victims’ rights and has a proven record of helping his clients receive fair and just compensation for their injuries. Call today!

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.