Buckling your seatbelt takes just a second. That single click is one of the most effective safety actions you can take on the road.
Seatbelts are not just a legal requirement. They are proven lifesaving devices. Yet thousands of drivers and passengers still choose not to wear them every year—often with tragic results.
In Texas and across the United States, seatbelt use remains one of the biggest factors separating survivable crashes from fatal ones.
Seatbelt Facts You Should Know (Texas & U.S.)
Recent data highlights just how critical seatbelts are:
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Nationwide: Seatbelts saved an estimated 15,000+ lives in a single year
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U.S. fatal crashes: Nearly half of people killed were not wearing a seatbelt
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Texas: Unrestrained occupants account for over 40% of traffic fatalities
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Rural Texas roads: Seatbelt non-use rates are significantly higher than in cities
Despite years of education and enforcement, failure to buckle up remains a leading cause of preventable deaths.
1. Wearing a Seatbelt Can Save Your Life
Seatbelts dramatically reduce the risk of death in a crash.
Studies show that seatbelt use lowers the risk of fatal injury by:
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45% for front-seat passenger cars
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60% for light trucks and SUVs
In high-speed or rollover crashes, being restrained often determines whether someone walks away—or never makes it home.
2. Seatbelts Reduce Serious Injuries
Surviving a crash is only part of the story. Seatbelts also reduce the severity of injuries.
They help prevent:
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Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
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Spinal cord injuries
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Broken ribs and fractured bones
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Severe facial and chest trauma
Without a seatbelt, occupants are far more likely to strike the dashboard, windshield, or be ejected from the vehicle.
3. Backseat Passengers Are at Serious Risk Without Seatbelts
Seatbelts are just as important in the backseat as they are in the front.
Unrestrained rear-seat passengers can become dangerous projectiles during a crash. This puts them—and front-seat occupants—at risk of serious injury or death.
In high-speed collisions, an unbelted backseat passenger can strike others with thousands of pounds of force.
4. Seatbelts Prevent Ejection During Crashes
Being ejected from a vehicle is one of the deadliest outcomes in a crash.
Crash data shows:
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Ejected occupants are many times more likely to die
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Seatbelts dramatically reduce the risk of full or partial ejection
Staying inside the vehicle and restrained greatly improves survival odds.
5. Seatbelt Use Affects Insurance Claims
Not wearing a seatbelt can have financial consequences after a crash.
Insurance companies may argue that failing to buckle up contributed to your injuries. This can lead to:
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Reduced injury compensation
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Disputed medical bills
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Lower settlement offers
In some cases, insurers may deny certain damages altogether.
How Seatbelts Actually Work in a Crash
When a crash happens, your body keeps moving at the vehicle’s speed.
A seatbelt restrains that motion and spreads crash forces across stronger parts of the body, such as the chest and pelvis. This reduces stress on the head, neck, and spine.
Without a seatbelt, the body continues forward until it hits something—or is thrown from the vehicle.
Texas Seatbelt Laws and Penalties
Texas law requires drivers and passengers to wear seatbelts in most situations.
Failing to comply can result in:
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Traffic fines
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Court costs
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Points on your driving record
Repeat violations may lead to increased penalties and insurance rate hikes.
The Real Cost of Not Buckling Up
The consequences go beyond tickets.
After a crash, seatbelt non-use can impact:
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Medical outcomes
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Legal liability
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Insurance coverage
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Long-term recovery
Many fatal and life-altering injuries happen in crashes that would have been survivable with proper restraint.
A Simple Choice That Saves Lives
Wearing a seatbelt is one of the easiest safety decisions you can make.
It protects you.
It protects your passengers.
It protects your future.
Every trip. Every seat. Every time.
Herrman & Herrman Car Accident Lawyers: Your Safety Comes First
At Herrman & Herrman Car Accident Lawyers, your safety matters to us—on the road and after an accident.
We believe prevention saves lives. That is why we support safe driving habits like wearing seatbelts, staying alert, and protecting everyone in your vehicle. Small choices can make a life-changing difference.
But when a crash happens, we are here to help.
If you or a loved one is injured in a car accident anywhere in Texas, our team is ready to stand by your side. We understand how overwhelming injuries, medical bills, and insurance claims can be. You do not have to face them alone.
Our firm helps injured Texans pursue compensation for:
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Medical expenses
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Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
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Pain and suffering
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Long-term rehabilitation
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Wrongful death damages
Insurance companies often try to minimize claims or shift blame. We push back and fight for the results our clients deserve.
Your safety. Your recovery. Your future.
At Herrman & Herrman, we are proud to always put YOU First.
CONTACT HERRMAN & HERRMAN IF YOU HAVE BEEN INJURED IN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF ACCIDENTS:
We can help you if you have been harmed by the following:
- Car accidents – Our lawyers have extensive experience handling car accident cases. We will work to identify the party or parties at fault for the crash and build a case to demonstrate persuasively how the parties caused the accident and your injuries. We will seek fair and full compensation through a negotiated settlement or at trial if necessary.
- Truck accidents – Thousands of large commercial trucks travel the roads of Texas every single day. Unfortunately, careless truck drivers and trucking companies disregarding safety put innocent people at risk of serious injuries. If you’ve been injured in a truck accident, let our experienced Texas personal injury lawyers stand up to the trucking companies and insurers on your behalf.
- Motorcycle accidents – Motorcycle riders often suffer grievous injuries in crashes caused by other motorists. Too many motorcycle accidents in Corpus Christi are caused by careless drivers who don’t look for motorcycle riders or violate their right of way. Our personal injury lawyers will work to cut through the bias and stigma against motorcycle riders. Our goal is to seek the financial compensation that you’ll need to recover from a serious motorcycle accident and injuries such as bone fractures, road rash, or traumatic brain injury.
- Product liability – Product manufacturers have a legal obligation to make products that are safe for their intended uses and to warn consumers of any risks that may come with the product. When products have design or manufacturing defects or undisclosed dangers, the product manufacturer may be legally responsible for injuries suffered by consumers. Our attorneys can help you evaluate whether you have a valid product liability claim.
- Brain injury – Brain injuries can leave accident victims with disabilities that leave them unable to work or perform many tasks of daily living. Seeking compensation for a brain injury in an accident often proves incredibly complex. The brain injury survivor may seek compensation for anticipated future medical care and the medical care already provided. Our personal injury lawyers can help you through the difficult recovery process following a brain injury and will fight to make sure you have the resources you need.
- Spinal injury – Spinal cord injuries could cost millions of dollars of care over the course of the victim’s lifetime, especially when those injuries result in partial or complete paralysis, such as paraplegia or quadriplegia. If you or your loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury, you deserve compassionate legal representation. Our attorney can help you determine whether you may be entitled to claim compensation for your injury and expenses related to living with the disability, such as making a home more accessible.
- Wrongful death – If you have lost a loved one due to the negligent or reckless actions of another party, your family deserves to seek accountability and compensation from those at fault for the wrongful death. Our caring and dedicated attorneys can help guide you and your family through this difficult and painful time and seek justice for your loved one.
ABOUT HERRMAN & HERRMAN PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS
With over 100 years of combined experience among the legal team of Herrman & Herrman, P.L.L.C., our Texas personal injury attorneys have successfully resolved over 20,000 cases. When representing injured Texas residents, we fight for justice against wrongdoing and aggressively pursue the best resolution to complex personal injury claims.
If you or a loved one was injured, please get in touch with us for a free initial consultation and case evaluation. Herrman & Herrman, P.L.L.C., is a locally based law firm that holds negligent individuals and companies accountable for their wrongdoing. We are not a personal injury mill that advertises nationwide. We provide individualized advocacy in attending to all aspects of claims that involve. Our firm has offices in the following locations: Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi South Side, Dallas, Brownsville, McAllen, San Antonio, Austin, Houston, and Ft. Worth, TX.
We remain by our client’s side, handling all aspects of their claims and attending to all legal, medical, and financial needs. That dedication combines experience, legal knowledge, and insight from a former insurance adjuster and several former insurance defense attorneys. Whether our clients suffer from physical pain from an accident or the emotional grief of death, we treat clients with compassion. We put their mind at ease during difficult times by answering their questions concerning the length of their claim, medical bills, financial compensation, and their overall need for a lawyer.
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