With the advances in car manufacturing, many people think seat belts are no longer critical. After all, isn’t that what air bags are for? This common misperception could kill you. Studies show people are safest when a combination of air bags and seat belts are used.
Understanding the 5 Ways Seat Belts Work
Seat belts work because they offer protection five different ways. First, seat belts restrain the strongest part of your body. When used properly, a seat belt protects at the hips and the shoulders. For older children and adults, the seat belt protects the strongest parts of your body, necessarily protecting the weaker parts as well.
Seat belts also distribute the force of the collision. Without a seat belt, the body moves in space until it comes in contact with an object. This may be the street surface, it may be the dash board, it may be coming into contact with another passenger in the car. In those situations, one body part typically bears the brunt of the impact. With a seat belt, the lab and shoulder belt combined distribute the force of the crash over a large portion of the body. This reduces the stress of impact. In addition, a seat belt helps keep the upper body and the head away from the steering wheel, the dashboard, and other surfaces in the interior of the car. This helps people avoid more serious injuries.
Seat belts protect vital body parts, including the brain and the spinal cord. Brain and spinal cord injuries may not be readily apparent. However, their impact can have lasting effects on people.
Seat belts help slow a body down. The laws of physics dictates injury in a car crash. Injuries happen when there is a sudden change in speed. When a car hits another car, the passengers and drivers may sustain injury due to the consequences of the impact, which causes a change in speed. A seat belt, properly used, slows the body down, extending the time between an car crash and the time the body comes to a halt.
Finally, seat belts keep people inside the car. While some people insist it is better to be thrown from the car, the data does not support this. In fact, people thrown from the car in a crash are four time more likely to die than those who remain in the car after a crash.
Have You Been Injured in a Car Crash?
If you have been injured in a car crash, or if a member of your family has been killed in a crash, you may have a case. We help people whose lives have been turned upside down due to a car crash. We seek recovery for past and future medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Call Hilton & Somer, LLC today to discuss your case at (703) 560-0700. We don’t charge our clients a fee unless we recover for them. You have nothing to lose.
For More Information
What You Need To Know Before – and After – You Are Involved In An Uber or Lyft Accident
What Car Accident Lawyers Want You to Know about Uber Crashes in Washington D.C.
