In 2016, a total of 23,714 drivers and passengers died in motor vehicle accidents. What’s just as disturbing is that more than half of teens and adults who died from crashes that same year were not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash.
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] The truth is, seat belts are designed and intended to save our lives in the event of a car accident. Still, an overwhelming number of people are not using them when operating or riding in a vehicle. Even if you are going on a short trip, you should never forget to buckle your seat belt. It truly could mean the difference between life and death. You may be wondering how seat belts work. After all, they are such powerful vehicle components. So what is it that makes them so effective? We’re going to tell you!
How Seat Belts Work
Seat belts make up one part of your vehicle’s safety system, which includes the seat belts, airbags, crumple zones, and padded interiors. All of these safety features are necessary to ensure driver and passenger safety. One of these safety components without the other could result in serious injury or death. In other words, you need all of these features to ensure optimal safety. For example, if you are not wearing your seat belt and experience a collision, you could be thrown into the airbags without any restraint and experience devastating injuries or even death. Seat belts work by preventing you from hitting hard services, being thrown into another body, being ejected from the vehicle, and hitting the airbag with great force. That is a lot of power for one vehicle component and is why seat belts should be worn at all times.
It’s the Law!
If reducing your chance of serious injury and death isn’t reason enough to buckle up, perhaps the law is. Aside from New Hampshire –
tisk tisk New Hampshire – all U.S. states require adults to buckle up in a vehicle. According to
the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 19 states that have primary enforcement laws for seat belts. What does that mean? Primary enforcement means that a police officer has the right to pull you over and give you a ticket if you are not wearing a seat belt. The difference between primary and secondary enforcement laws is that secondary
does allow cops to ticket for failure of wearing a seat belt. However, the driver must be pulled over primarily for another reason, such as speeding. These laws are created to ensure that seat belts are worn at all times and that passengers are driving safely. The unfortunate truth is that these laws are not always abided by, leading to tragic consequences.
Your Responsibility
So, what can you do? The answer is simple: buckle up! Regardless of the distance, make sure that when you are driving you and your passengers are wearing seat belts. A simple click of the belt is all it takes to significantly enhance your safety while on the road. This is even more crucial if you are driving with children. If you don’t want to buckle up for your
own safety, then at least do it for your kids, who no doubt watch and mimic everything you do.
Need a Seat Belt Repair?
By now, you know that seat belts are nothing to mess around with. If you think that your seat belts may need a repair or a replacement, visit
MyAirbags, an alternative to expensive dealership part replacement. MyAirbags offers top quality
seat belt repair, as well as any other service that your vehicle may require. Simply send in your vehicle parts and have them returned within 24 hours, restored to their original OEM condition. When it comes to your safety, do not take chances! For any questions or service inquiries, contact MyAirbags, today.