It can be easy to forget how important it is to wear a seat belt. Here are some reasons why it’s important that you and your family are strapped in safely.
1. In An Accident, Seat Belts Help Keep You In The Car
If a person is not strapped in, it is possible that he or she can be pushed out of the car through the front, rear, or side windows. There is a rumor that in the event of an accident, it is safer to be pushed out of the car, but this isn’t true. If a person is thrown out of the car, the chance of mortality is four times greater.
This is also true if a car rolls over. In that case, chances of survival increase by about 45% when a person wears a belt and up to 60% if the car is a pickup truck.
2. Seat Belts Can Keep Your Body Protected
A seat belt protects your vital organs, including your brain and spinal cord. Brain and spinal cord injuries can be extremely serious and wearing a seat belt keeps these body parts secure.
In addition, a seat belt protects your body by spreading out the impact of a collision. It also keeps your head and neck at a distance from the steering wheel and dashboard. If a person experiences sudden impact or change of speed, a seat belt can restrain them and help prevent impact by slowing down the body’s reaction.
3. Technology Is Not Enough
People might feel that new technologies can protect them. This is incorrect. No element protects as much as a seat belt. Airbags are helpful when used in addition to a seat belt, but the seat belt is still needed for the body to stay in alignment with the bag.
Also, driving a powerful vehicle like a pickup truck is not a substitute for wearing a belt. It has been reported that in the U.S., 467 people passed away when driving pickup trucks in 2015 and of that number, 216 people were not wearing belts.
Similarly, driver safety mechanisms, cameras, and lane departure and assist technologies can help with awareness, but they are not directly life-preserving. Wearing a seat belt is.
4. Statistics Prove Seat Belts Save Lives
Statistics clearly prove that wearing a seat belt can be the difference between life and death, more so than any reasonable precaution you can take on the road. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that seat belts cut the possibility of injury and death by around 50%, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that in the U.S. over 15,000 people have their lives saved annually due to having worn their belt. The administration also states that between 2010 and 2014, about 63,000 lives were saved in accidents due to wearing a belt.
The next time you are driving with friends or family, be sure to remind them of these reasons why it is still important to buckle our belts. Take care of yourself and others with a simple click.
Image via Flickr by State Farm
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