The purpose of this paper is to discuss the Indiana seat belt laws of today. Seat belts have been around for many years. Seat belts were put into cars for our safety, and for the safety of our children. Many adults do not like to wear them. Many children do not like to wear them. I am always telling my children to buckle up. Seat belts cannot help you if you are not wearing them. They are not in cars just for looks. They must be worn and they must be worn properly. How many times have you seen people with seat belts on and they have the shoulder strap behind them or under their arm? I have seen that many times. That is not the proper way to wear a seat belt and you could be hurt if you wear a seat belt improperly. .
I will discuss some of the background of seat belts and why they became such an important part of a vehicle. I will discuss the Indiana seat belt laws and some of the changes made throughout the years. Indiana became a state in 1816, and the settlers started moving in ("Population of Indiana," n.d.). In the 1900's Indiana had 2.5 million people in it. It is estimated in 2012 that there are 6.55 million people in Indiana ("Data center," 2010). Indiana has a lot of people in it. There are a lot of vehicles and people driving from age 16 until there 90's. It is important to know the importance of the seat belt with so many drivers and vehicles around. Wearing a seat belt could save your live, or the life of someone you love.
Car accidents are the leading cause of death in the United States. Seat belts are a great way to prevent some of these deaths, but millions of drivers choose not to wear their seat belts ("Injury prevention," 2011). Drivers who choose not to wear their seat belts think it is their right not to wear them. They might think they are uncomfortable and get in their way. Drivers would understand the importance of the seat belt if they ever got into an accident and that seat belt stopped them from going through the windshield.