Helpful Auto Safety Facts
Seat Belts
Always use your seat belt and shoulder harness when riding in your car. The safest place for you in a crash is sitting securely in your seat. Many fatal crashes occur at relatively low speeds and you double your chances of survival by wearing your seat belt.
Here are the facts:
Safety device Effectiveness
Airbags alone 12%
Seat belt alone 42%
Seat belt + Airbag 47%
1) The belt should cross your shoulder and rest on your hips and pelvis.
2) Pregnant women should place resistant belts over and under the abdomen.
Many people mistakenly believe that they can brace against the steering wheel and avoid serious injury in a frontal type crash. However, even at only 25 mph, an unrestrained driver can strike the steering wheel with the same force as falling from a 3rd story building.
Child Restraint Systems (CRS)
Did you know that, tragically, more than 40% of children who die in car crashes are unbelted? Always be sure children are properly protected when riding in a moving motor vehicle under your control, it’s the law.
In most cases child restraint systems (CRS) provide more safety than your car’s standard seats. But, research shows that most parents either don’t use them or don’t use CRS properly. For more information about CRS or other safety issues, please check out the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website at www.ntsa.gov. It’s also a good idea to check your car’s owner’s manual for specific recommendations before shopping for a CRS.
All children under 12 years of age should ride in the back seat when possible. Carefully install the CRS using both the seat and vehicle instruction manuals. You can have your seat installation checked at local law enforcement agencies. (Next week-Airbags, head restraints, and crash safety)
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