How To Properly Wear A Seat Belt
Seth Smiley here from the Smiley Law Firm with today’s edition of the Parents of Teen Drivers Facebook Group. Today’s topic is, “How to properly wear a seat belt.”
Many of you might know my backstory that a seat belt saved my life when I was five years old. My parents and I were in a terrible accident where we were T-boned and hit so hard that the seat belt held me in the car.
I spent two or three weeks in ICU, so I know the importance of seat belts better than anybody.
As a teenager, I always knew the importance of always using seat belts, and it has carried over to my adult life. There is a habit of people forgetting the importance of proper seat belt usage due to new safety technology.
The statistics show that seat belts are still vital even with airbags or other safety features. A seat belt plus an airbag means you will be even safer.
There is a proper way to wear a seat belt, and you should remind your teen drivers about it. Please make sure the seat belt is tight against your shoulder and snug against your waist.
When you are in an accident and hit from the front, side, or wherever, your car stops, and all of your body’s momentum transfers to your shoulder and hip bones. It means you can distribute all of that pressure more evenly.
The reason whiplash occurs so often is that when the car stops, the seat belts lock-in, and hold the body back. It risks damage to the neck but saves you from more severe injury or fatality.
So we know that seat belt usage is essential. You don’t want to wear it under your arm. Make sure your teen knows always to buckle up, and make sure any passengers do the same. It is vital to double-check any younger children are correctly secured.
Some people think that seat belts are only necessary on the highway, but most accidents happen close to home at speeds of under 25 miles per hour. Seat belts save lives, so make sure your teen drivers are always wearing their seat belts.
A quick tip is that if you are ever in an accident where the airbags deploy, check that the insurance company replaces the seat belts. It would be best if you had fresh and new safety mechanisms that have not been affected by a collision.
If you have questions about our topic, “How to properly wear a seat belt,” please comment below. If you have experienced an accident where seat belts have saved somebody or have a legal question, please feel free to send me a DM.
