Two men are listed in critical condition after they were involved in a rollover accident in Walnut where they were both ejected from the vehicle. According to an article in the Pasadena Star News, both the driver and the passenger who have not been identified, were not wearing their seatbelts.
The men were traveling at about 90 mph on Amar Road when the driver lost control of the late model Toyota Scion, officials said. The car rolled over backwards, hit the center divider and two trees before coming to rest, the newspaper reported. Both men were thrown out of the car. Both had to be airlifted to an area hospital. One man is listed as “death imminent” and another is said to be in critical condition.
Two factors seem to have caused the major injuries these men have suffered in this auto accident. One was that they were clearly speeding. And another, of course, is that they were not buckled up, according to official reports. It’s not a cliché, but a fact, that seatbelts save lives. As personal injury attorneys who deal with victims of auto accidents all the time, we see it often. People who don’t buckle up, especially when they are traveling at a high rate of speed, are less likely to survive a crash as opposed to those who are buckled up.
That said, going over the set speed limits – be it a surface street or a freeway – is a sure recipe for disaster. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a deserted road or a time of day when traffic is sparse, if you speed you will most likely pay the price for it. In this case, it could cost one man his life and another, his physical well-being for the rest of his life. He may never again be able to do the things he once did. Is the thrill of speeding on a public roadway worth your life or your well-being?
Thousands of Americans die each year because they are not buckled up. These deaths are senseless and unnecessary. It’s easy to see why seatbelts save lives. During an auto accident, properly fastened seat belts distribute the forces of rapid deceleration or sudden stopping over larger and stronger parts of the person’s body such as the chest, hips and shoulders. The safety belt stretches slightly to slow your body down and increase its stopping distance. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, the difference between the belted person’s stopping distance and the unbelted person’s stopping distance is significant. And often, it’s the difference between life and death.