Seatbelt safety: are you doing it right?
International stats say there are over 7 000 less deaths in recent years due to improvements in safety technology, such as seatbelt mechanisms. While seatbelts are not a new phenomenon, what many people do not know is they have to be used in conjunction with other safety mechanisms or in a particular way for them to fulfill their proper function.
Also read: 5 Car crash scams that you should know about!
Here is what you have to do to wear them properly:
- Airbags do not replace seatbelts but are designed to be used in conjunction with them. If an airbag deploys and you are not wearing your seatbelt, you can hit the airbag at up to 300km per hour causing serious injury or even death.
- Back passengers must also always wear seatbelts. Not only will it prevent you from being flung from the car but will also stop passengers from hitting the seat in front of them. Without a seatbelt you can hit the front seats at such a high speed you can injure and even kill front passengers.
- Seatbelts are designed for adults and can cause more damage to children if used incorrectly, for example without booster seats.
- Only once you are taller than 4’9” (150cm) or weigh more than approximately 40kg can you wear a seatbelt without a booster seat.
- Seatbelts are designed to not only stop you from being flung from the car but to absorb the impact of the crash where you are best able to withstand it: with your pelvis, ribcage and shoulders.
- The lower strap of the seatbelt should sit across your lap and pelvis, not your stomach where you are vulnerable to internal injuries.
- The belt that goes across your body should rest on your collar bone or chest but should never touch your face or neck.
Seatbelts and pregnancy
- You still need to wear one
- Wear the lap belt below your belly and across your pelvis
- Wear the shoulder part on the side of your belly and across your chest
For more detailed and comprehensive information on the benefits of seatbelts, give MasterDrive a call on 011 867 4778. They are committed to reducing injuries and death from crashes on our roads.
Also read: Do you know how your airbags work?