Earlier this month two Iowa teens were injured in a rollover accident along Interstate 80 after hitting same black ice on the highway. Thankfully, the young women survived the crash with mostly minor injuries, which they attribute to the fact they were wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident. According to one news source, they are now advocating for others to wear seat belts, safety devices that “allowed the girls to walk away alive” according to an officer with the Iowa State Patrol.
With so many motorists driving distracted, drowsy or impaired, and with many drivers exceeding speed limits on any given day across Iowa and Illinois, it is important for drivers to take every precaution they can to prevent injuries in the event they are involve in a motor vehicle accident. More than half of all motor vehicle fatalities involve motorists and passengers who were not using seatbelts at the time of an accident. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), the instant a motorist buckles up they cut their risk of a fatal injury nearly in half.
Taking the simple and potentially lifesaving step of using a seatbelt can save lives as can avoiding texting while driving or other distracted behaviors, dialing down the speed, and never driving while impaired. If you or a family member has been injured in a motor vehicle accident, contact the Quad Cities car accident injury lawyers of McDonald, Woodward & Carlson PC for immediate assistance today at 563-355-6478.