In the news last week, a Peterbuilt gas tanker hit a Chevy pickup truck in the intersection of Highway 41 and Adams Avenue in Fresno County. The Chevy pickup truck, according to the California Highway Patrol officers on scene, ran the red light at the intersection, causing the collision. ABC 30 News in Fresno reported the accident at 11:15am on Friday, July 28, 2023.
Thankfully, the driver of the semi-truck seemed to suffer from only minor injuries at the scene. The driver of the Chevy truck, however, was taken to the hospital to be treated for severe injuries. It also appears the driver of the Chevy truck was not wearing a seatbelt.
In California, it is the law to wear a seatbelt while driving or riding in a motor vehicle. According to the California DMV website, “Because safety belts provide a level of protection from injury in motor vehicle collisions, California law requires the following”:
Vehicles must contain proper functioning seat belts for driver and any passengers.
Any driver of a motor vehicle must wear a seat belt at all times the vehicle is in operation.
All passengers 8 years and older that are at least 4 feet 9 inches must wear a seat belt.
All passengers younger than 8 or shorter than 4 feet 9 inches must use a child safety seat.
Any driver or passenger who is in violation of these laws is subject to a traffic ticket if pulled over by a police or highway patrol officer. In addition, if a driver is found to be driving with children under 16 years old without seat belts on, that driver is subject to an additional citation which comes with a separate fine. (https://www.dmv.org/ca-california/safety-laws.php)
Accidents like the one in Fresno County last week are a great reminder of why seat belt laws are in place in the state of California. While we cannot control every variable when driving, we can play a part in whether or not the passengers in our car are wearing a seat belt. According to Crash Stats, California had a seat belt usage rate of 97.2%, which is almost 7% higher than the national average. (https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813307) Do your part, and remind everyone you ride with to wear their seat belt!
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