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collides with some of these surfaces, it happens with much
less force and often results in less serious injury.
4. Keeping the body more closely in the “proper driving
posture.” The belt keeps the driver “in the driver’s seat.”
The belted driver is better able to deal with emergencies and
often avoids more serious trouble.
5. Protecting the head and spinal cord. The belted driver is
less likely to be stunned or made unconscious by the crash
and is better able to cope with the situation. Research has
found that proper use of lap/shoulder belts reduces the risk
of fatal injury to front seat passenger car occupants by 45
percent and the risk of moderate-to-critical injury by 50
percent (for occupants of light trucks, 60 percent and 65
percent respectively).
• In the U.S. a person was injured in a traffic crash every 13
seconds in 2015 according to the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration Traffic Safety Facts.
• In 2016, vehicle occupants were 32 times more likely to die in
a crash if they were unbelted. They were 3 times more likely to
sustain serious injuries if they were unbelted
• Failure to use a safety belt contributes to more fatalities than
any other single traffic safety-related behavior.
• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for
children ages 3 to 14. In 2010 an average of 6 children are
killed and 463 are injured EVERY DAY in the United States.
Many people still have “bad information” about using safety
belts. For example:
“Safety belts can trap you inside a car.” It takes less than a
second to undo a safety belt. Crashes seldom happen where a
vehicle catches fire or sinks in deep water and you are
“trapped.” Only one-half of one percent of all crashes ends in
fire or submersion. Even if they do, a safety belt may keep
you from being “knocked out.” Your chance to escape will be
better if you are conscious.
“Some people are thrown clear in a crash and walk away
with hardly a scratch.” Most crash fatalities result from the
force of impact or from being thrown from the vehicle. Your
chances of not being killed in an accident are much better if
you stay inside the vehicle. Safety belts can keep you from
being thrown out of a vehicle and into the path of another one.
Ejected occupants are four times more likely to be killed as
those who remain inside the vehicle.
“If I get hit from the side, I am better off being thrown
across the car, away form the crash point.” When a vehicle
is struck from the side, it will move sideways. Everything in
the vehicle that is not fastened down, including the passengers,
will slide toward the point of the crash, not away from it.
In 2016, traffic crashes on Tennessee’s roadways killed 1039
people. Sadly, many of these deaths could have been prevented
if the victims had taken the time to buckle up.
By promoting child passenger safety, Tennessee attempts to
protect children from needless death or
injury. Many of these needless injuries
result in permanent disabilities, such as
paralysis, brain damage, epilepsy, etc.
Why needless? Consider the following:
• Motor vehicle injuries are a
leading cause of death among
children in the United States. But
many of these deaths can be prevented.
•
In the United States, the National Center for Injury
Prevention and Control reported 663 children ages 12
years and younger died as occupants in motor vehicle
crashes during 2015, and more than 121,350 were
injured in 2014.
• Infants (under one year old) who are properly secured in
safety seats survive almost 75 percent of the crashes that
would otherwise be fatal. Toddlers (one-to-four years
old) who are properly secured in safety seats survive
more than half of the crashes that would otherwise be
fatal.
• The proper use of child restraint devices could prevent 9
out of 10 deaths and 8 out of 10 serious injuries to child
passengers under the age of four. If child safety restraint
seats were used properly 100 percent of the time, the
percentage of children who survive crashes would go up
by 23 percent.
Set a Good Example – Always Buckle Up
Think about what your child sees you do in the car. Do you
wear your safety belt? Children follow their parents’ examples.
Studies show that children’s behavior in the car improves
when they learn how to ride in a child restraint device. Make
it a habit for you and your child.
Tips For Using Safety Belts With Children
When your child “graduates” from the child restraint system to
safety belts, it is very important for the belts to lie across the
correct area of the child’s body.
IT’S WORTH
THE EFFORT
COMMON FEARS AND MISCONCEPTIONS
ABOUT SAFETY BELTS:
TENNESSEE’S CHILD PASSENGER
PROTECTION LAWS