How seatbelts save lives
Discover why seatbelts still reign as a top safety device in your vehicle. Learn how they work to keep you safe when you are in a crash.
The humble seatbelt has been and continues to be the number one safety device installed in motor vehicles. It also is the safety device responsible for saving many lives on West Virginia’s roadways. Though the design may seem simple, the seatbelt is created using many different features that work together to help people stay alive when they are involved in a car accident.
The design
It is really the careful design of a seatbelt that makes it work miracles. Cision PR Newswire explains a seatbelt is made of two main parts with many different complex systems and parts that work together to provide security. The main parts are the lap belt and the shoulder belt. The location of these belts is not by accident. They hold a person at the two strongest points in the body-the hips and the ribs.
During a car crash, the force will send an unrest rained person flying into the windshield, dashboard or air bag. The point of impact then takes on all the force behind the body. With a seatbelt, the person is kept in the seat and the force is spread out over the body at the two main points by each belt.
The seatbelt design also has different mechanisms and parts that help to do additional jobs to ensure it operates effectively. An example is the load limiters, which help the seatbelt give a little upon impact to reduce injuries from the belt itself.
Main takeaways
Everyday Health gives a nice summary of the main points any person should understand about seatbelts and why they are such an essential safety device. First, they slow down the body in a gradual way. They do this by spreading out the force along the strongest points of the body. In addition, they keep a person secure in the vehicle seat instead of becoming airborne. Finally, a seatbelt, when used properly, can greatly reduce the injuries and chances of death from a motor vehicle accident.
Many people shun seatbelts. They simply do not understand why they are so important. However, learning how seatbelts work explains a lot about their function and makes it crystal clear how they can save lives. This is why state law requires their use and why law enforcement is so vehement about buckling up. If you have been in a motor vehicle accident, it could help you to seek the qualified advice of a legal professional, such as the attorneys at Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee & Deitzler, PLLC.