【Safety Article】Three Common Mistakes in Using Seat Belts

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A seat belt is a life belt; the first thing we should do once we get in the car is to fasten our seat belts. However, some people in life have incorrect perceptions regarding the use of seat belts, which poses a threat to their own safety. Myth 1: It’s unnecessary to wear a seat belt when there are airbags. Claim: Modern cars are equipped with many safety features, including airbags; therefore, there’s no need to wear a seat belt. Correct answer: Airbags cannot replace seat belts. When a car accident occurs, relying solely on airbags is very dangerous. Because the expansion force of the airbag is extremely high, if there is no cushioning effect provided by the seat belt, hitting the expanding airbag directly can cause severe damage to the body. Therefore, airbags must be used in conjunction with seat belts to be effective in providing safety. According to statistics from relevant agencies, in all potentially fatal car accidents, the proper use of seat belts can save 45% to 73% of lives; the best approach is to use both airbags and seat belts, which can reduce the mortality rate by 68%. Moreover, the airbag only activates when the car is involved in a collision within a 120° front range. Therefore, although more and more cars are equipped with airbags, airbags are merely an auxiliary safety system that must be used in conjunction with seat belts. Myth 2: It’s unnecessary to wear a seat belt when driving slowly over short distances. Claim: In urban areas, the speed of driving is low, so it’s not easy to cause serious harm to others; moreover, the distances covered in urban driving are generally short, so the risk is low, and therefore there’s no need to wear a seat belt. Correct answer: When a vehicle crashes at a speed of 40 kilometers per hour, the force of the body being pushed forward is equivalent to the impact force generated by dropping a 50-kilogram bag of cement from a 4-story building. In this situation, the role of the seat belt becomes evident. Moreover, there is no inherent connection between a car accident and the distance traveled; accidents can occur in a very short period of time regardless of whether the journey is long or short. Additionally, there are high-speed lanes in urban areas, which are often high-risk zones for accidents. Relevant data shows that it takes only a mere 0.7 seconds for a car traveling at 88 kilometers per hour to go from colliding to causing the driver’s death. In such a short period of time, even the best drivers with excellent skills cannot avoid disaster if they don’t fasten their seat belts. Myth 3: Passengers in the back seat don’t need to wear seat belts. Claim: Sitting in the back seat poses less risk than sitting in the front seat, so it doesn’t matter whether one wears a seat belt or not. Correct answer: Although the law does not require passengers sitting in the back seats of a car to wear seat belts, traffic police strongly recommend that back-seat passengers also fasten their seat belts. If seat belts are already installed in the vehicle, be sure to make good use of this protective device. In severe car accidents, the injury and mortality rates of passengers sitting in the back seats are not much lower than those in the front seats. At a speed of nearly 50 kilometers per hour, a collision occurs ahead; for a normal adult sitting in the back seat of the car, the force of the forward impact is extremely great. At this time, if there is no restraint from a rear seat belt, it is very likely to cause injury to both the passenger in the rear seat and the passenger in the front seat.