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Seat Belts

Motor vehicle accidents are the eighth leading cause of death in America and the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 15 and 24. Buckling up for safety is still the best prevention.

Buckling up is good preventive medicine. Motor vehicle accidents account for about 40,000 deaths each year, and are now the eighth leading cause of death in the United States. For ages 15 to 24 years, motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death. In addition, motor vehicle accidents result in more than three million non-fatal injuries.

Using seat belts, and complying with posted speed limits will cut down on the severity of accidents; every person in a moving vehicle should wear proper restraints and car doors should be locked.

Studies on motor vehicle accidents show that those individuals who used seat belts showed a:

• 60 to 75% reduction of deaths or severe injuries;

• 65% reduction in the need for hospitalization; and,

• 66% reduction in overall hospital costs.

Despite these results, however, recent surveys indicate that only about 60 to 70% of front seat occupants use seat belts regularly. For back seat passengers, the percentage of seat belt users is much less. About one-half of all severe motor vehicle accidents are frontal crashes, and it is in this type of crash that seat belts are most effective. In side crashes and rollover crashes, a major risk is ejection from the car. That is why, in addition to using seat belts, doors should be locked as an extra precaution against being thrown out of the car during a crash.

Most air bags are useful only in frontal and rear impact crashes and do not help in side or rollover crashes. So, if you have air bags, you still need seat belts. The best protection is the three-point shoulder and lap belts. Air bags, according to a variety of studies, provide added protection and, in certain crashes, can be life saving. Air bags that protect in side and rollover crashes are just being introduced.

It is important to make sure the seat belt is properly attached and is not twisted. This applies particularly to lap belts, which often are twisted and then are fastened. If they remain twisted and there is an accident, they twisted belt might produce rather than prevent injury. Pregnant women should wear belts in the normal position–the pressure will not have any adverse effect on the baby; young children should be properly restrained in the back seat.