Buckle Up This Holiday Weekend

Whether you are planning a short trip to the grocery store for your favorite cookout ingredients or a long road trip to see Grandma, wearing a seat belt can be the difference between life and death.

Always Click It

In 2020, the Missouri Highway Patrol reported nearly 70% of traffic fatalities involved drivers and passengers who weren’t wearing seat belts.

“Wearing a seat belt is one of the healthiest decisions you can make,” said Mike McGee, RN, CEN, trauma prevention expert at North Kansas City Hospital. “By simply buckling up, drivers and front-seat passengers can reduce their risk of a fatal injury by nearly 50%.”

Seat Belts Save Lives

• Missouri law requires drivers and passengers to wear a seat belt any time a motor vehicle is in operation.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports approximately 90% of Americans wear seat belts. This results in an estimated 15,000 lives saved each year.
• Bruising is the most common injury in drivers and passengers who are wearing a seat belt during an accident. However, unbuckled individuals can be lodged within the vehicle or ejected entirely, which is almost always fatal.
• Airbags don’t replace seat belts; they work together. Without a seat belt, a deployed airbag can result in serious injury and sometimes death.

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Michael McGee

Michael McGee, RN, CEN, is a trauma prevention expert at North Kansas City Hospital, a state-designated Level II trauma center. Pulling from his 34 years’ experience as a registered nurse working predominantly in trauma and emergency care, Michael has a deep understanding of trauma injuries, treatment, and prevention. Today, Michael provides NKCH staff with trauma education and promotes injury prevention in the community.