10 Fastinating Facts About Seatbelts That You Might Not Know

Below are the 10 facts of the seatbelts we use daily when driving. Let’s see if you know them all!

1. Seatbelts save millions of lives

Didn’t you know that seat belts save around 13,000 lives annually! This means about 35 people a day! 80% of occupants ejected from vehicles in crashes are killed. Most of those who survive after the accidents suffer debilitating, life-changing injuries or, even worse, disability. Moreover, wearing seatbelts help to reduce the risk of fâtl injuries up to 50% for front seat occupants.

Seatbelts save many people annually

2. Seatbelts save a lot of teenagers

Traffic accidents are reported as the main cause of death among teenagers in the U.S. According to the U.S  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, six adolescents between the ages of 16 and 19 pass way in motor vehicle accidents every day. What’s more, the young account for 61% of people who don’t wear seatbelts frequently when going with another driver.

3. More and more people start using seat belts

In 1981, only 11% of vehicle occupants wore seat belts. However, in 2017, 89.7% of vehicle occupants began to know the benefits of seatbelts and started using them.

The world is starting to realize the importance of seatbelts

4. Seatbelt laws actually work

Drivers and passengers in states with primary safety laws are 10% more likely to be locked up than drivers and passengers in states lacking primary safety laws. The primary safety law allows police to stop any vehicles merely because the occupants do not use seat belts. In states with secondary safety laws, you cannot be taken out just because you do not wear a seat belt.

5. Seatbelts will not trap you

Some people believe that wearing seat belts prevents them from escaping fire or accidents, so they decide not to wear seatbelts. Nevertheless, according to the Michigan State Police, Crashes which involve fire or water happen in only 0.5 per cent of all crashes.  In those cases, you are still conscious to get yourself out of almost any potential fire or submerged car circumstances.

Seatbelts ensure your safety

6. Seatbelts will not harm you in any accident

While you may be scratched or bruised from the seatbelt in an accident, these wounds are less severe than what could have happened if you did not wear a seatbelt. In case of injuries involving the seat belt, it is still almost always better than the injury due to not wearing a seat belt.

7. Airbags can never replace seatbelts

Airbags are supposed to be designed to work together with seat belts, rather than a replacement. Without the belts, the force of an opening airbag can easily shock and hurt you.

Having an airbag is good, but remember not to forget your seatbelt!

8. Seat belts are adjustable

Most recent cars allow you to adjust the length of your belt. This will provide a more comfortable and safer fit.

9. Children must always wear a seatbelt

Although state laws are applied differently for adults, all 50 states and Washington, DC, require children to sit in a car wearing a seatbelt, depending on the age, height, and weight of the child.

Children are required to wear seatbelts

10. Wearing a seat belt can save you a lot of money

Or rather, not wearing it can cost you tons of money. A person found not wearing a seat belt will be fined Rs 250. However, in the most severe cases, the fines can be accumulated to a hefty Rs 1.25 lakh.

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