Buckling Up Saves Lives

 By Molly Stone 

 

When 18-year-old Ryan Murphy was involved in a rollover car accident, police told him he only survived because he was wearing his seat belt. 

On December 17, 2019, Murphy was driving home with a friend from playing a high school hockey game. The roads were slick and covered in black ice. When Murphy was coming around a sharp turn, his car skidded on the ice and ended up rolling over into the woods. 

“It was the scariest thing that has ever happened to me, it all happened so quickly I didn’t have time to think,” Murphy said. 

Both boys escaped the accident without a scratch. Police attribute their safety to the seatbelts they were both wearing. 

“When I talked to the police at the scene of the accident, they were all surprised how we weren’t hurt at all. They told us if we weren't wearing our seatbelts, we probably wouldn’t have been so lucky,” Murphy said. 

One of the safest choices drivers and passengers can make is to buckle up. Wearing a seatbelt in the front seat of a passenger car can reduce your risk of fatal injuries by 45% and moderate to critical injuries by 50%, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said. 

 James Massari, a Massachusetts State Police Detective lieutenant of 31 years, emphasized the importance of wearing a seat belt. 

“In every serious crash that I’ve seen where the occupant survived is a direct result that seat belts work,” Massari said. 

“Seatbelts should be worn because the combination of both the seatbelt and airbags restrict movement after impact during a crash. This protects the soft tissue of the human body from colliding with the hard interior of the vehicle,” he said.

Massari has seen crashes where the driver was wearing a seatbelt and crashes where the driver was not. During rollover accidents, the belted occupants remain in the vehicle while the unbelted occupants are ejected, he said. Ejection from a vehicle is almost always fatal, so one simple click of a leather belt can be a life-saving decision. 

With all the evidence confirming the importance and safety of seat belt wearing, there are still individuals who choose to remain unbuckled. 

“Common excuses people have for not wearing their seat belts are that they are uncomfortable and inconvenient. Obese people will complain that seat belts don’t fit them, and older drivers are somewhat resistant to the whole idea. It’s like teaching an old dog a new trick with them,” Massari said. 

Another common excuse that non-seat belt wearers use is that they are only traveling a short distance, so their seat belt is not necessary. 

“Sometimes I won’t wear my seat belt if I’m going down the road to get gas or if I’m just going for a drive around town,” Suffield, Connecticut resident Matthew Stone said. 

His father, Paul Stone, shared that sentiment. “I won’t buckle in unless I know I’m going to be in the car for a long time,” he said. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said seat belts should be worn regardless of the distance one is traveling since most car accidents occur close to home. Most fatal car crashes will take place within 25 miles of the driver’s home. For non-fatal accidents, 52% happen within 5 miles, and 77% happen within 15 miles. 

That was the case for Ryan Murphy, who was only 5 miles from home when he took a sharp turn that resulted in a rollover accident. 

“I knew those roads like the back of my hand. I never thought I would get in an accident there. I guess that just shows you never know what can happen,” Murphy said. 

Murphy’s mother, Sara Murphy, was able to be at the scene of the accident quickly since it occurred so close to their home. 

“I am just grateful that I could be there quickly to make sure he was okay. I am even more grateful he was wearing his seatbelt,” she said.