Get it Together - Buckle Up
BINGHAMTON, NY - According to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, failure to wear a safety belt is the most prevalent factor associated with traffic fatalities. New York State law states:
- All occupants in the front seat regardless of age must be properly buckled.
- All back seat passengers under the age of 16 must also be properly restrained.
- Children less than 7 years old must be properly restrained in an appropriate child safety seat, one that meets the child's height and weight requirements.
Beyond the laws there are life-saving benefits to wearing a seat belt as a driver or as a passenger. Safety belts prevent you from being ejected out of the vehicle during a crash. If you are ejected from the car, you are four times more likely to be killed, especially in roll over crashes where the car could end up “rolling over” onto you.
Seat belts also help absorb the crash forces by putting the stress of the crash on the strongest parts of your body, your hips and your shoulders. The special fabric seat belts are made of help spread the crash forces over the broadest areas of the body reducing the chance of injury and helping you “ride down” the crash by slowing down your body.
Seat belts also help protect your head, neck and spinal cord which, if injured, could result in the loss of mobility or feeling due to loss of nerve function, which could possibly impair your ability to live independently. They also help protect you and your passengers from becoming “bullets” or “projectiles” by preventing collisions with one another, the steering wheel, the vehicle seat, or the windshield--all of which can have devastating consequences.
However, seat belts will only do their job if you wear them and you wear them correctly. This means the lap belt should be worn low on the hips and thighs, not on the belly and the shoulder belt should be across the shoulder and chest, not across the neck.
So wear your seatbelt. It could save your life or the life of someone you know!
For more information on vehicle safety restraints contact Christine Muss, Traffic Safety Coordinator at the Broome County Health Department at 607.778.2807.
CONTACT:
Carrie Abbott, Supervising Public Health Educator
Broome County Health Department: 607.778.2884
email: cabbott@co.broome.ny.us
Broome County Health Department: 607.778.2807
email: cmuss@co.broome.ny.us
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Published Date: 11-13-2007
