signal will sound for 126 seconds. In addition,
the warning lamp on the instrument cluster dis-
play flashes.
The lamp goes out when the ignition is on
and all occupants have fastened their seat
belts.
Head-on collisions and the laws of
physics
Fig.20 A driver not wearing a seat belt may be
thrown forward violently.
Fig.21 Any rear seat occupants not wearing
a seat belt may be thrown forward violently,
hitting the driver who is wearing the seat belt.
The eects of the laws of physics in the case of
a head-on collision are easy to explain: the mo-
ment a vehicle starts moving, a type of energy
called “kinetic energy” starts acting on both the
vehicle and its passengers.
The amount of “kinetic energy” depends on the
speed of the vehicle and on the weight of the
vehicle and of its passengers. The taller they
are, the more energy there is to be “absorbed”
in the event of an accident.
The most significant factor, however, is the
speed of the vehicle. If the speed doubles from
25 km/h (15 mph) to 50 km/h (30mph), for
example, the corresponding kinetic energy is
multiplied by four.
Even at speeds of 30 km/h (19 mph) to 50 km/h
(30 mph), the forces acting on bodies in a colli-
sion can easily exceed one tonne (1000 kg). At
greater speed these forces are even higher.
Vehicle occupants not wearing seat belts are
not “attached” to the vehicle. In a head-on col-
lision, they will move forward at the same speed
their vehicle was travelling just before the im-
pact. This example applies not only to head-on
collisions, but to all accidents and collisions.
Even at low speeds the forces acting on the
body in a collision are so great that it is not
possible to brace oneself with one's hands. In
the event of a head-on collision, vehicle occu-
pants not wearing a seat belt will be thrown
uncontrollably forward and will collide, for ex-
ample, against the steering wheel, dash panel
or windscreen ›››Fig.20.
It is also important for rear passengers to wear
seat belts properly, as they could otherwise be
thrown forward violently through the vehicle in-
terior in an accident. If a rear seat occupant
is not wearing a seat belt, they are not only en-
dangering themselves but also the occupants
of the front seats ›››Fig.21.
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