No Seat Belt Kills Woman in Evergreen, AL

A woman was killed early Sunday morning on Interstate 65 near the 86-mile marker in Evergreen when she collided with another vehicle. According to Alabama State Troopers, she was *not wearing a seat belt* and was ejected from her vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the hospital. Authorities are actively investigating other possible causes for this tragedy.

Seat belts are the single most effective traffic safety device for preventing death and injury, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Wearing a seat belt can reduce the risk of crash injuries by 50 percent. They save lives:

• Seat belts saved more than 75,000 livesfrom 2004 to 2008 .
• Forty-two percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2007 were unbelted. A 2009 NHTSA study estimates more than 1,600 lives could be saved and 22,000 injuries prevented if seat belt use was 90 percent in every state.

The good news is, in 2009, seat belt use averaged 88 percent nationally, compared with 69 percent in 1998. NHTSA attributes this increase to the “Click It or Ticket” campaign, originally created by the National Safety Council as part of its Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign.

Unfortunately, car wrecks are the # 1 cause of death for people under 25, claiming 11,000 young lives every year. Virtually all of these deaths result not from accidents, but from 7 CHOICES the Citrin Safety Foundation calls D.A.N.G.E.R.S.:

Distractions (texting, eating, applying make-up, pets, etc.)
Alcohol/drugs (driving impaired)
No seat belts (failing to buckle up)
Groups (too many young passengers)
Exhaustion (fatigue)
Riding bumpers (tailgating)
Speed (exceeding the speed limit or failing to slow down for weather, traffic, or other conditions)

Fortunately, the National Safety Council created a program called Alive at 25 which is proven to be 90% effective in reducing these fatalities. Because Alabama ranks 3rd worst in the U.S. in traffic deaths, Alabama trial lawyer Andy Citrin became certified in 2009 to teach the Alive at 25 program. A father of four and a top-rated injury attorney with a 26 year track record of winning large verdicts and settlements for people innocently injured or killed in car, truck, and motorcycle wrecks, over the past three years Mr. Citrin has personally taught the 4 hour “Alive at 25” program to thousands of area high school students free of charge. Since its formation in 2009, Mr. Citrin has contributed over $200,000 in profits from his law practice to the mission of the Citrin Safety Foundation. To make a tax-deductible donation to the Citrin Safety Foundation, or to schedule Mr. Citrin to teach the program at your school, call Executive Director Pam Winstead at 251-626-7766 or visit www.CitrinSafetyFoundation.org.

If you’ve been injured in a car, truck, or motorcycle accident through no fault of your own, and you want passionate, proven lawyers on your side, call the Citrin Law Firm at 251-621-3000 for a FREE consultation or visit Citrinlaw.com to submit a free case review.