03/04/2017
The Seven Deadly Myths about Seat Belts
In 1955 when Swedish car manufacturer Volvo first made seat belts a standard feature of cars, based on independent research that seat belts save lives, many American motorists would not wear them, feeling that seat belts were a nuisance. That same year Hollywood icon James Dean died in a two-car crash in Southern California, which he would have likely survived had he been wearing a seat belt. The star’s death launch a new era of public awareness about the importance of seat belt use, and helped give rise to the boom of the seat belt industry. It wasn’t until 11 years later in 1966 that president Johnson signed a law into effect making seat belt installation mandatory for all automobiles.
Today, roughly 11.5 percent of drivers still don’t buckle up, and they represent about one-half of automobile fatalities. Fortunately, 88 percent of the population wear seat belts up from only 14 percent in 1983. Despite decades of research and mountains of data confirming the simple fact that seat belts save lives, why do more than one in ten individuals still not buckle up? Most likely those who stubbornly resist buckling up, fall victims to one of the seven common seatbelt myths listed below.
Myth #1. Seatbelts are uncomfortable
Seatbelts never feel uncomfortable once wearing them becomes a habit. When one initially makes the adjustment from not wearing a seatbelt to getting used to putting one on, there might be a short interval of mild, mainly psychological discomfort, but usually after a few days, this slight discomfort wears off. Moreover, the discomfort occurring after a serious traffic injury is far worse, and of much longer duration, than the minimal and temporary discomfort one might feel while getting use to buckling up.
Myth #2. I’m not going that far, or I’m not driving fast.
There is a certain unconscious sense of comfort being close to home, the result of which is that many drivers let their guard down.
More than half of fatality crashes occur within 5 miles from home, and a whopping 77% occur within 15 miles from home. This should not be surprising, as most driving occurs in the general vicinity of one’s residence: the trip to the local grocery store, dropping the kids off at school, a trip to church or the neighborhood park, etc. Buckle up close to home because that’s where the crashes occur.
As for not driving that fast, the statistics speak for themselves: Most car crash fatalities occur at speeds of less than 40 miles per hour. Unrestrained, severe head injuries can occur with speeds as low as 15 mph.
Myth #3. I’m better off being thrown from my car in case of an accident.
Sheer nonsense! A driver or passenger, ejected from a car, is 30 times more likely to die. Thirty times! The foolishly naïve notion that one will make a soft landing on a bed of grass is sheer fantasy, neither borne out by the harsh reality of fatal crashes nor by the very laws of physics.
Myth #4. I don’t want to get trapped in a seatbelt.
Many worry about being trapped in fire or under water in the event of a car crash; the reality, though, is that only about ½ of one-percent of crashes end up in fire or under water. Additionally, there are those who worry about losing consciousness in the event of a collision. However, buckling up is the most likely means to remain conscious, as seat belts hold the occupant in place, and thereby protect the occupant from being dashed around, resulting in severe head trauma and resulting unconsciousness.
Myth #5. My seatbelts don’t work.
Some drivers feel that their seatbelts don’t work because safety belts are slack with normal driving. This is supposed to be the case to provide optimal comfort. However, seat belts are designed to tighten up in the event of the occupant being suddenly thrown forward.
Myth #6. My airbags will protect me, so I don’t need seat belts.
Airbags are designed to be a life-saving supplement to seat belts, not a replacement. For an airbag to work properly, the occupant must be in the proper position, which seat belts assure. Secondly, seat belts, not airbags, remain an automobile’s most important protective feature. Finally, airbags will not help you in rear-end or roll-over crashes.
Myth #7. Good Drivers don’t need to wear seat belts.
Assuming you’re a good driver and never make a mistake, what about the other guy who isn’t a good driver who hits you, or what about the driver who carelessly rear-ends you while you are waiting at a red light? What about blow outs, objects that suddenly fall off the vehicle in front of you, or that deer that runs into you from out of nowhere?
In short, it is a proven fact that seat belts save lives and that they don’t jeopardize those who wear them. For those who still stubbornly adhere to the above debunked myths, consider that insurance companies will typically pay much less, or perhaps nothing at all, if a particular driver involved in a car crash – regardless of fault – is discovered to have not buckled up.
