Buckling Up Works As Missouri eases into another hot and humid
summer, more people are hitting the roads- both for work and for
recreation. With additional people on the road, the chances of
motor vehicle accidents increase, so the Department would like
to take this opportunity to remind drivers that buckling up
saves lives. Transportation incidents, which include highway,
non-highway, air, water, and rail fatalities, and also
fatalities resulting from being struck by a vehicle, were the
leading event or exposure of fatal work injuries in Missouri in
2008 and again in 2009, accounting for 59 of the 142 work-
related fatalities in 2009. The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) reports that occupants are 45 percent
more likely to survive a crash if they are wearing their safety
belts correctly. Three out of four people who are ejected from a
vehicle during a crash will die as a result. Seat belt usage
saves an estimated 9,500 lives each year. Americans spend more
than 100 hours a year commuting