Although it is the law, many people still do not wear seat belts and forget to put children in proper child restraint systems. Most drivers will be involved in at least one accident in their life and 1 out of 3 people will be injured or killed in auto accident.
SEAT BELTS
You are twice as likely to surive a car accident with lap belt and four times a likely to survive a auto accident if you were a lap and shoulder belt.
Some misconceptions about seat belts and child safety seats are:
- Seat belts can trap people in the car [It takes less than 1 second to release a belt];
- You do not need seat belts for short trips [75% of all traffic deaths occur within 25 miles of home];
- People can walk away when thrown from the car [You have 25% better chance to survive accident if remain in the car and being thrown from a car is a main reason for traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries];
- I do not need to put a child in a safety set because my trip is short [No. 1 cause of death of children is car accidents and 8 out of 10 children who die would survive an car accidddent in an approved child safety seat]
AIRBAGS
In 2007, airbags saved 2788 lives. Inflating airbags can cause injuries. Airbag injuries occur when people are not positioned correctly (e.g. too close to the airbag or not wearing seat belts) in the car during an auto accident.
For adults or children over the age of 12, move your seat back as much as possible to create distance between you and the airbag. There should be at least 10 inches of space. You also need to wear a seat belt because so will not move closer to the airbag when there is an impact.
For children 12 and under, they must be placed in the back seat to avoid airbag injuries. You should never put a rear-facing child safety seat in the front seat. If possible, please the child in the back center and confirm the safety seat is secured.
