Injuries

• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that every 15 seconds, a traffic accident resulting in injuries occurs. Wearing your seat belt can prevent more serious injuries from occurring, such as being thrown through a windshield or having your body slammed into the roof of the car by a crash's impact. Additionally, a report by the North Carolina Trauma Registry notes that car accident victims who were wearing seat belts had greatly decreased need for ventilators, ICU facilities and lengthy hospital stays.
  
  

Hospital Expenses

• The North Carolina Trauma Registry also notes that, on average, money spent for postaccident care for individual people not wearing their seat belts in crashes was $5,000 to $8,000 more per person in 1993 than that spent by crash victims who did wear their seat belts. In addition, it estimates that $7.2 million dollars in hospital expenses could have been saved between October 1, 1987, to July 1, 1989, in seven North Carolina trauma centers alone.
  
  

Fine Expenses

• The NHTSA advises that if police catch you not wearing your seat belt, fines can be quite expensive. In some cases, points may be placed on your license. As of September 2009, Washington is the state with the highest fine for not wearing your seatbelt, clocking in at $86. Idaho has the smallest fine, at just $5. See statemaster.com for a state-by-state breakdown of current fines.
  
  

Death

• The North Carolina Trauma Registry reports that of 3396 people in 1993 for whom seat belt data were available, 135 people who were not wearing seat belts died. When compared with the deaths of only 47 people who had been wearing their seat belts, it's easy to see that the math will more likely work in your favor if you wear yours.
  
  The NHTSA estimates that someone is killed in a crash every 13 minutes, but that seat belts are able to save 11,000 lives every single year. It additionally advises that seat belts can work in tandem with your airbags in a serious crash, and that your airbags can actually cause you injury if you're not wearing your seatbelt.
  
  

Rules for Children

• The NHTSA advises that children 12 and under should have their seat belts properly adjusted and buckled up in the back seats of cars. This is the safest way to transport your kids when they're in your car. The rules and fines covering children, seat belts and child safety seats vary widely from state to state. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has a comprehensive state-by-state breakdown of these laws.