Seat Belts Save LIves

Inter-Canyon Fire/Rescue urges you to buckle up.  When the paramedics, EMTs and firefighters of ICFR arrive on the scene of an automobile we are always relieved to see the vehicle occupants uninjured or suffering relatively minor injuries.

Seat Belt Safety
Across the US, on back roads and superhighways seat belts save lives.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 15,000 lives are saved each year in the United States because drivers and their passengers were wearing seat belts when they were in accidents.

Seat Belt Safety: 5-Way Protection
Seat belts prevent occupants of the vehicle from serious injury in five ways.  Your seat belt:

• Keeps the occupants of the vehicle inside. It’s clearly a myth that people are better off being thrown clear from the crash.  People thrown from a vehicle are four times more likely to be killed than those who remain inside.
• Restrains the strongest parts of the body.  Restraints are designed to contact your body at its strongest parts. For an older child and adult, these parts are the hips and shoulders, which is where the seat belt should be strapped.
• Spreads out any force from the collision.  Lap-and-shoulder belts spread the force of the crash over a wide area of the body. By putting less stress on any one area, they can help you avoid serious injury.  A shoulder strap also helps keep your head and upper body away from the dashboard, steering wheel, and other hard interior parts of the automobile should you stop suddenly or be hit by another vehicle.
• Helps the body to slow down.  Te rapid change in speed (deceleration and impact) is what causes injury.  Seat belts help extend the time it takes for you to slow down in a crash.
• Protects your brain and spinal cord.  A seat belt is designed to protect these two critical areas. Head injuries may be hard to see immediately, but they can be deadly. or have long-term serious consequences.

Seat Belt Safety: Buckle Up Correctly
Adjusting your seat belt properly is a must:  Getting the right fit is as important as wearing it. The strap that goes across your lap should fit snugly over your hips and upper thigh area.  If the belt rides up on the stomach, it could cause serious injuries in a crash.

Shoulder belts should rest securely across your chest and shoulders between your breasts. Don’t ever let the strap fall across your neck or face and never place the strap under your arms or behind your back.  Any one of these positions can cause serious injury.

Seat Belt Safety: Rules for Infants and Children
Children re not small adults — they need specialized protection in a moving vehicle. Age, height, and weight determine the safest way for a child to travel.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, here’s how to select the right option for your child:

• Rear-facing child safety seat. Children under age 1 and those who weigh less than 20 pounds should sit in rear-facing, child safety seats approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The seats should be placed in the backseat of the car.
• Forward-facing child safety seat. Children older than 1 who weigh more than 20 pounds should ride in forward-facing child safety seats. The seat should be placed in the rear of the vehicle until the child reaches the upper weight or height limit of the particular seat. Typically, a child will outgrow a safety seat around age 4 and once she reaches about 40 pounds.
• Booster seat. Children age 4 and older who weigh more than 40 pounds should ride in booster seats. A child can safely progress to a seat belt when the belt fits properly across the upper thighs and chest.
• Seat belt. When children outgrow their booster seats, they can use seat belts, but they still should sit in the back of the vehicle.

Seat Belt Safety: A Clear Message
The National Safety Council recently reported a drop in traffic fatalities for the past few years, indicating a record low since the 1920s when it began publishing statistical reports. One reason given for the decline is the increased use of seat belts.  It takes only a few seconds to buckle up once you get in the car.