Safe Bet: Seat Belts Improve Your Odds
In the United States, motor vehicle accidents are one of the leading causes of death, especially among children and young adults. The simple act of buckling your seat belt every time you get in a vehicle can save your life! If you have not made seatbelts part of your traveling routine, learn why you should change your behavior.What Happens to Your Body in a Collision?
- The vehicle strikes another object, such as a tree.
- The "human impact" occurs. Unbelted occupants slam into hard, unforgiving parts of the vehicle's interior—the steering wheel, the windshield, the roof—or into other occupants.
- The final impact takes place within your body as the internal organs smash against other body parts—the heart hitting the sternum, the brain hitting the skull, the lungs hitting the ribs.
- Hold you securely, taking advantage of the vehicle's own protective crushing effect as it absorbs energy in the first impact.
- Distribute the force of the human impact across the strong parts of the body. Your body hits the belt rather than the steering wheel, windshield, or other hard parts of the interior.
- Prevent occupants from colliding with each other.
- Help the driver maintain control, decreasing the possibility of an additional collision.
- Prevent occupants from being ejected.
What About Air Bags?
What Is Your Excuse?
| Reasons for Not Wearing a Seat Belt | Realities |
|---|---|
| I am just going to the store. | Most deadly crashes take place close to home. |
| I am a good driver. | You may not be the cause of an accident. The accident may be caused by another driver. Also, unbelted drivers have less chance to control the vehicle after the impact. |
| I am not in the habit of wearing them. | You are a role model for others. For example, children are less likely to be buckled up if adults are not. |
| I am nobody's business but my own. | During a crash, unbelted occupants can injure other people in the car. Also, unbuckled crash victims have a ripple effect on everyone in terms of high healthcare costs, taxes, and health insurance. |
| I am afraid of being trapped in a fire or under water. | The vast majority of fatalities result from the force of impact, not from being trapped. |
Advice From a Racecar Driver
RESOURCES
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/
Network of Employers for Traffic Safety http://www.trafficsafety.org/index2.asp/
CANADIAN RESOURCES
Alberta Motor Association http://www.ama.ab.ca/
Canada Safety Council http://www.safety-council.org/
References
Motor vehicle safety. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/. Updated October 4, 2011. Accessed June 5, 2012.
Seat belt laws. Governors Highway Safety Association website. Available at: http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/seatbelt%5Flaws.html. Updated June 2012. Accessed June 5, 2012.
Seat belt safety. Arizona Department of Public Safety website. Available at: http://www.azdps.gov/information/Seat%5FBelts/. Accessed June 5, 2012.
Seat belts and airbags, helpful safety aids. Safe Ride.org website. Available at: http://www.saferide.org/seat%5Fbelts%5Fairbags.html. Accessed June 5, 2012.
Seat belts fact sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/Motorvehiclesafety/seatbelts/facts.html. Updated January 4, 2011. Accessed June 5, 2012.
Seat belts: your single most effective safety step. National Safety Council website. Available at: http://www.nsc.org/safety%5Froad/DriverSafety/Pages/SeatBelts.aspx. Accessed June 5, 2012.
Seatbelts: why you should use them. Oklahoma State University Safety Training website. Available at: http://www.ehs.okstate.edu/kopykit/seatbelt.htm. Accessed June 5, 2012.
What you need to know about air bags. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website. Available at: http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/airbags/airbags03/airbags1.html. Accessed June 5, 2012.