National Passenger Safety Week: Being aware of passenger safety
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – January 24 marks the third day of National Passenger Safety Week.
The week-long campaign is designed to bring awareness to those who aren’t behind the wheel, but still suffer the consequences of poor driving habits.
In 2020, about a quarter of all passenger vehicle fatalities nationwide were passengers, according to info from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Mississippi Highway Patrol Sergeant Derrick Beckom said passengers may not have control of the car, but they do still have responsibilities while traveling.
“You’re in the vehicle with someone else and they’re at the wheel so you don’t want them doing reckless things that could cost you your life or their life. So, you have to mention to them that they’re speeding, or even if they need to buckle up. Especially if you are a driver, if you can drive, as a passenger, you want to help that driver out. We talk about cell phones and electronic devices being distractions all the time but passengers can also be a big distraction and cause accidents as well so you wanna be again responsible for helping that driver out as they drive,” said Beckom.
Over 6,000 passengers were killed in crashes, according to the National Passenger Safety Campaign.
