A female driver from Southern New Jersey had to be Med-Evaced after a car accident resulted in a head injury. She collided with another car at an intersection, causing the crash, and was cited for failing to yield the right-of-way and not wearing a seat belt.
New Jersey and New York car accidents can have serious consequences – from broken bones and head injuries, to lost limbs and lost lives. New Jersey car accident attorneys have seen the devastation that a single car accident can have on a victim, on survivors and other family members. One step that all drivers and passengers can take to protect themselves is to buckle up, each and every time you get into a car.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported that over half of the 23,000 people who were killed in fatal car accidents in 2009 were not wearing seat belts. It’s estimated that over the same time period, almost 13,000 lives were saved by seat belt use.
New Jersey requires all drivers and all passengers who ride in the front seat to wear a seat belt. A police officer can pull you over simply for not wearing a seatbelt; the first offense is a $20 fine.
New York also requires drivers to wear a seat belt anytime they are behind the wheel. Violating New York’s seat belt law can result in up to a $50 fine.
Both New Jersey and New York have additional requirements for safety restraints for children. New Jersey requires that children under 8 and weighing less than 80 pounds be secured in an approved child car seat or booster seat in the rear seat of the car, if the car has one. In New York, children under 4 years old and 40 pounds must use a car seat. Children between the ages of 4 to 6 must use an approved restraint system in combination with the car’s seat and shoulder belt system.
There are additional specifics related to seat belt use in both New York and New Jersey. When you’re behind the wheel, or driving others around, ensuring that everyone is appropriately buckled up for safety can help minimize the risk of serious injury if you and your passengers are involved in a car accident.
