YOLO - So Buckle Up (Infographic)

YOLO, right?! We agree – seeking adventure, traveling abroad, finding love and trying new food are just a few of the joys life can hold. However, instead of using YOLO as a motto to justify taking dangerous risks, why not see YOLO as an expression to really live life? After all - you really do only get one chance at life. If you aren’t here to enjoy it, how else can you visit California, conquer a ghost pepper and meet John Stamos, all in one weekend?

So leave the gamble and chance to meeting the band or catching the last bus, and out of everyday activities, such as driving a car. Simple steps like clicking your seat belt and putting your phone away before putting your car in drive only take a few seconds, but could mean a lifetime of memories.

Skip the Risk: Buckle Up

Every hour someone dies in America simply because they did not buckle up, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In fact, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 14 to 20 year olds in the United States and account for more teen deaths than suicide, homicide and cancer combined. Nearly eight teens died each day in 2012 from motor vehicle crashes, with an additional 282,000 teens being treated in emergency departments for injuries suffered during a motor vehicle crash, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

The majority of these deaths and injuries involved unbuckled teens, both drivers and passengers.

Seat Belts Save Lives

Seat belts are the single most effective way to reduce fatal and non-fatal injuries from car crashes and reduce the risk of fatal injury to front seat passengers by 45 percent, when worn correctly. In fact, seat belts saved an estimated 12,174 lives in 2012, according to AAA.

Despite being involved in more crashes, teen drivers are the least likely to wear a seat belt. More teens die in motor vehicle crashes than from any other cause of death, about 2,500 per year. Fatalities are split almost equally between teen drivers (56 percent) and passengers (44 percent). In half of the fatal crashes, the teen was not wearing a seat belt.

Reasons Teens Don’t Click It

According to research by State Farm and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the top excuses teens made for not wearing a seat belt included:
· Uncomfortable
· The trip was short
· Forgetfulness
· Lack of understanding about their importance in a crash
· Not being "cool"

Seat Belt Use: Males vs. Females

Male teens continue to lag behind female teens in seat belt use. In 2009, 11.5 percent say they rarely or never wear a seat belt as a passenger, compared to 7.7 percent of high school females.

It only takes one second to buckle up and it could make the difference of a lifetime! What will you do with your life? #YOLO