Passengers Are Safer Than Drivers

The S.E. Farris Law Firm infographic makes clear is that passengers are less likely to suffer a fatalities from forgetting to wear a seatbelt than drivers. However, the infographic does indicate conditions that increase a passenger’s risk for suffering a fatality while riding in a vehicle unrestrained, such as gender and the types of vehicles unrestrained passengers ride in.

Male drivers are more prone to suffering fatalities for failing to wear vehicle restraints than women. In fact, men suffer nearly twice as many fatalities from not wearing a seatbelt than their female counterparts.

Vehicle model is another key factor in whether a passenger will survive an accident without a seatbelt on. For example, sixty-eight percent of unrestrained pickup truck passengers were killed between the years of 2001 and 2010, according to the infographic’s data. Passengers were also seven percent more likely to suffer fatalities while not wearing seatbelts in SUVs.

7,449 drivers were killed in accidents while not wearing a seatbelt, while only 3,098 passengers died due to the lack restraints. These figures suggest that drivers bear a greater risk for suffering a fatality on the road than passengers do. Therefore, for safety’s sake, passengers should make it a point to make sure their drivers are wearing their seatbelts before traveling on public highways and roads.