- Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Kick off the new year with a resolution to improve safety on Massachusetts roads!
The most important safety feature in your vehicle is your seat belt. Seat belts save lives every day on our roadways, but they only work if you use them every time, in every seat. Short trip? Back seat? In a ride share? The rules of the road still apply, so buckle up to keep yourself safe from injury.
Wear your seat belt in any scenario to reduce the risk of possible injury for yourself and your passengers. The majority of those killed in crashes are not wearing seat belts. Buckling up keeps you secure in a crash and keeps you from being thrown from a vehicle, which can be deadly.
Do you think others on the road are aggressive or distracted, but you are a good driver? Protect yourself by buckling up to avoid the risk of injury or fatality caused by others’ actions.
Vehicles are designed to have airbags and seat belts working together to protect you. By not buckling up, you could be injured by the force of the automatic airbag systems.
Wear your seat belt correctly – always have the shoulder belt across the middle of your chest and away from your neck. Adjust the lap belt to cross your hips, below your stomach. NEVER put the shoulder belt behind your back or under your arm.
Keep your passengers safe – insist on seat belt compliance and be sure your youngest passengers are in approved safety seats. Are you unsure when younger travelers can wear seat belts alone? Check this safety advice from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Children should continue to use car seats and booster seats until they are big enough to use seat belts alone.
Be a good role model for your younger passengers who will be drivers themselves one day. Always buckle up and insist that your passengers do the same.
Your seat belt is crucial to surviving a crash. Resolve to make it a habit to always buckle up every time you get in the car. Save a life: buckle up!
The MAPFRE Insurance-sponsored MassDOT Highway Assistance Program is on patrol to help all motorists, including motorcyclists, on the highways. Patrol operators monitor some of the state’s busiest highways around Metro Boston, Worcester, Springfield, and Cape Cod (seasonal). The Highway Assistance Patrol covers 13 major state roadways and interstates, the Emergency Service Patrol covers the Mass Pike (I-90) from New York to Boston and the Incident Response Operators cover the Metropolitan Highway System and tunnels. The Highway Assistance Patrol is in service Monday–Friday between 6 a.m.–10 a.m. and 3 p.m.–7 p.m. During holidays, there are extended routes in heavy-traffic areas. On I-90, and in Boston’s tunnel system, assistance is provided 24 hours per day, 7 days a week.
Written by,
Your friends at MAPFRE Insurance
