Myth VS Reality (Fact)
| Myth | Reality (Fact) |
|---|---|
| “I can move around, back and forth in my shoulder harness, so the safety belt system isn’t working.” | Newer safety restraints are designed to allow movement. The belt system “locks” when the vehicle goes off-center from severe braking or from a swerve to prevent us from hitting the dashboard. |
| “The safety belt will trap me in a burning or submerged vehicle.” | Less than one-half of one percent of injury producing collisions involves fire or submersion. If we do not wear our safety belts, we have a very good chance of being knocked unconscious and not responding. |
| “It is better to be thrown out of your vehicle if you have a collision.” | If we do not wear of safety belts, and are thrown out of our vehicle, our chances of being seriously injured increase 25 times and our chance of being FATALLY injured increases 6 times. |
| “I’m only driving a short distance, so I don’t really need to wear my safety belt. I won’t be in a crash.” | Most of our driving trips are short distances. Research shows:
With so much travel close to home; it is more likely that we will be involved in a crash that occurs within 30 miles or less of our home. |
| “I don’t need to wear a safety belt. The air bag alone will protect me in a crash.” | Air bags are designed to work with lap and shoulder belts. They do not provide protection to unbelted vehicle occupants. |
Reference: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/hse/memos/tsafe/SeatBeltUse.pdf
