Seat Belt

The basic principle of seat belt is to keep you from hurdling toward the dashboard or from flying through the windshield when your car sudden stops.

One of the most ignored safety items on auto mobiles is the seat belt. Most of us do not give seat belts a second thought, but they should be checked and fastened every time we are in the car to insure our safety.

Seat belt is one of the simplest and effective safety features of a car.  In fact half of all people killed in traffic accidents were not fastening their seat belts. Many of these deaths could have been prevented if only they were wearing their seat belts on.

The basic principle of seat belt is very simple. It keeps you from hurdling toward the dashboard or from flying through the windshield when your car comes to a sudden stop. A seat belt applies the stopping force to more sensitive parts of the body over a longer period of time.

A common seat belt is compost of a lap belt and shoulder belt. Lap belt rests over your pelvis while a shoulder belt stretches across your chest. These two belts are tightly secured to the frame of the car in order to hold passengers in their seats. If the belt is worn correctly, it will apply most of the stopping force to the pelvis and the rib cage, which are more durable part of the body. Because the belts extend across through the wide section of the body, the force isn’t concentrated in a small area, which means it cannot do much damage. Moreover, the seat belt webbing is made from a flexible material than the dashboard or windshield. It stretches a bit, which means the stop is not quite so abrupt. Car seat belts have the ability to extend and retract. You can lean forward easily while the belt stays fairly taut. But in a collision or crash, the belt will suddenly tighten up and hold you in place. Seat belts should be given more attention or you might bang into the steering wheel or side window.

How to Use Seat Belts Properly

The lap belt or the lap portion of the lap-shoulder should be adjusted so it is low and cozy across the pelvis area. Do not put it across the stomach area. The shoulder belt must fasten across the chest and collarbone and it should be fit comfortably. The belt should never worn across the front of the face or be placed behind your back. Always check your lap belt more often during a long travel or even in a short trip because seat belt worn too loosely could allow you to slide under it in a collision. Sit up straight, don’t slouch. Slouching causes the lap belt to ride up. Even pregnant women needs to buckle up. Make sure the belt stays snug and well below your abdomen. For young children ages 12 and below, should be properly buckled up in the back seat. Young children who are riding in child safety seats or even older children who are riding in booster seats should ride in the back seat away from where the air bag is installed.

It’s amazing when you think how this piece of fabric makes difference between life and death. So always and never forget to worn your seat belt. It will only take 3 seconds of your time but it will give you more time to live in this earth in return.

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