Legislation and Road Safety

There's been a lot of talk about proposed seat belt and motorcycle helmet laws in Missouri, and it's created a healthy amount of discussion. Ultimately, politicians and lawmakers are an an impasse when it comes to the question: is it the government's job to enforce seat belt and helmet usage, or the role of the individual? Naturally, as a Los Angeles personal injury attorney, we encourage drivers and cyclists to take every possible precaution on the roads to reduce the impact of personal injury should an accident occur.

It would be natural to assume everyone acts in accordance with this idea, but it's unfortunately not true. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the national rate of seat belt usage stands at 87 percent, while in Missouri it's at 79 percent and trending downward. One reason behind this factor may be that adults who sit in the backseat of vehicles are exempt from seat belt requirements. In order to boost seat belt compliance, lawmakers are considering making it a crime not to wear a seat belt, which would give police officers the authority to pull over more drivers and cite them.

Only time will tell to see if these measures or education campaigns will be effective in boosting seat belt compliance. While most of our work involves handling cases that require the undivided attention of an experienced vehicle accident lawyer, we look forward to the day these services will no longer be required. And as our national rate of seat belt usage remains 87 percent, let's try to bring that up to 100. Buckle up!