Back to Basics: Making Seat Belt Use a Habit

By Emma Harrington
Director of Injury Prevention and Education, Shepherd Center

Seat belts are the single best way to protect yourself in a crash, and numerous studies have reported that they save lives and reduce injuries. Despite enjoying years of relatively high rates of seat belt compliance, in 2023 almost 62% of Georgia roadway fatalities were either unbelted or unknown. And in Georgia and the nation as a whole, seatbelt use has declined since 2021.

Still, most of us do buckle up and expect our loved ones to do the same. How do we reach the risk-takers on our roads? It starts with your own sphere of influence: Here is what you can do to decrease your risk and strengthen a culture of safety in your community.

1. Model the behavior you want to see in your children. As soon as their car seat is forward-facing, they are watching and learning.
2. Make a family rule that the vehicle does not start until everyone is buckled up. Make this non-negotiable.
3. Model the correct way to wear your seatbelt on every trip.
4. Understand that backseat passengers who do not wear their seatbelts are a liability for everyone else in the vehicle. Unrestrained passengers can become projectiles and injure belted passengers in the event of a crash.
5. Pay close attention to your car seats. Do not switch your child to a forward-facing position or a booster until absolutely necessary based on height and weight. The longer your child can be rear-facing and in a harness, the more protection they have.
6. Do not let your children sit in the front seat. Their smaller frames are much safer in the backseat.
7. Refuse to drive unless all of your passengers are restrained — this includes sticky situations with coworkers, bosses, and other people’s children.
8. Maintain these norms even if you are just going around the corner on a short drive.
9. Talk about the importance of seat belts with your kids and why you expect them to buckle up every time. The same principle applies to wearing a helmet and other expected safety behaviors. If you insist your kids wear a helmet but don’t model the behavior yourself, the lesson is lost.  

In Georgia in 2021, 701 lives were saved thanks to proper restraint use for passengers ages five and above (Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety 2021 Risky Driving Quick Facts). Working together, we can all make the roads safer for everyone.

EMMA HARRINGTON is the director of injury prevention and education services at Shepherd Center. Previously, Emma started the injury prevention program at Grady Memorial Hospital in the Trauma Department. She holds a master of education degree in international education policy from Harvard University. Originally from Boston, Emma is a licensed social studies teacher.