Clarksville Police Department reports Unrestrained Drivers Involved in Two Separate Serious Crashes over Presidents Day Weekend

Clarksville, TN – The Clarksville Police Department (CPD) reports that there were two serious collisions this past weekend involving drivers who were not wearing their seat belts.

The benefits of buckling up are equally clear, if you buckle up in the front seat of a passenger car, you can reduce your risk of fatal injury by 45% (Kahane, 2015) and cut the risk of moderate to critical injury by 50%.

If you buckle up in a light truck, you can reduce your risk of fatal injury by 60% (Kahane, 2015) and cut the risk of moderate to critical injury by 65% (NHTSA, 1984).

It is a Tennessee State Law (TCA 55-9-603) that motorists use safety belts (seat belts) at all times when a vehicle is in forward motion. Motorists in Clarksville can expect to see increased enforcement of safety belt laws in an effort to promote awareness, safety and reduce the risk of serious injury crashes.
 
Information regarding seat belt safety can be found at: www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/seat-belts
 
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) advises that buckling up helps keep you safe and secure inside your vehicle, whereas not buckling up can result in being totally ejected from the vehicle in a crash, which is almost always deadly. Air bags are not enough to protect you, the force of an airbag can seriously injure or even kill you if you’re not buckled up.
 
Improperly wearing a seat belt, such as putting the strap below your arm, puts you and your children at risk in a crash.