Here Are Questions
Many
People
Ask
About Safety Belts
--
and the
Answers
@
Won’t
I
be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I’m wearing a safety belt?
A:
You could be
--
whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can easily unbuckle a safety
belt, even if you’re upside down. And your chance
of being conscious during and after an accident,
so
you
can
unbuckle and get out, is much greater
if
you are belted.
@
Why don’t they just put in air bags
so
people
A:
“Air bags,”
or
Supplemental Inflatable Restraint
won’t have to wear safety belts?
systems, are
in
some vehicles today and
will
be
in
more of them
in
the future. But they are
supplemental systems only
--
so
they work with
safety belts, not instead of them. Every “air bag”
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that has
“air bags,” you still have to buckle up to get the
most protection. That’s true not only in frontal
collisions, but especially in side and other
collisions.
@’
If
I’m
a good driver, and
I
never drive far from
home, why should
I
wear safety belts?
A:
You may be
an
excellent driver, but if you’re in an
accident
--
even one that isn’t your fault
--
you and
your passengers can be
hurt.
Being a good driver
doesn’t protect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within
25
miles
(40
km)
of
home.
And the greatest number of serious injuries and deaths
occur at speeds
of
less than
40
mph
(65
km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
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