Your entire life, you’ve been told to wear your seatbelt. Law enforcement officers can get you in trouble if you skip it, and most modern cars have a warning that will keep going off if you don’t have your belt buckled. Even with all these reminders and a clear understanding of how seatbelts protect you, some people will always try to skip it no matter what. A new yearlong study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is hoping to gain a better understanding of seatbelt use in the U.S.

Six communities were selected for having low data points for seatbelt use along with high crash statistics. According to experts, one of the most important things to do regarding use of seatbelts is to collect data and then develop educational programs that reinforce the value of seatbelts from a young age. In the cities selected, early data collection programs show that seatbelt use hovers around 80 percent, leaving the other 20 percent susceptible to being seriously injured in a crash. A seatbelt can help to protect your body in a major car crash and it can also keep you inside of the vehicle where there would otherwise be an ejection risk.

Kids are very likely to be seriously injured if they are not belted properly. Parents should always look at their child’s height and weight information to determine when a carseat is no longer recommended. After all the research you do to select a proper carseat or booster seat, it’s just as important to install it correctly or require that your older child wear a seatbelt, too.

Seatbelt use is an important component of determining how injured someone will be in the event of a crash.

Have you already been injured in an accident in which a seatbelt saved your life? If someone else was responsible for the injuries you sustained, you may have grounds to file a personal injury claim.