History Of Seatbelts

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After the initial astonishment of being alive wore off, I heard the voices of those who had gathered around ask, “How did you survive?” Looking back on the day of my car accident, I can't count the number of times I was asked this question, as I showed the pictures of a mangled minivan upside down in a ditch. My answer was always the same, “By the protection of God, and a seat belt.” It was a normal Saturday afternoon, and I was helping my family move items to our brand new house. May showers refreshed the earth the night before and left the pavement with a glossy sheen. I grew up on these back roads; I knew them well. However, as I came around one of the many winding curves, my tires hit water and locked. I began to pump my brakes while…show more content…
Over the years car manufacturers have not only improved the performance of their vehicles but also their safety. Seat belts are one of the simplest and most reliable forms of car safety. In the 1930’s several United States physicians equipped their own cars with lap belts and began urging manufacturers to provide them in all new cars. The physicians noticed that numerous deaths resulted from car crashes. They believed the fatalities could be prevented by a retention system in the seat (Imre & Cotetiu, 2014). The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety now conducts safety test and evaluates crashworthiness and crash avoidance on every make and model of vehicles (“IIHS Safety Rating,”…show more content…
The choice to "buckle up" the day of my accident literally saved me from serious injury and possible death. Seat belts protect vehicle occupants during a crash in two ways. They reduce the chance of contact with the vehicle’s interior, and they prevent ejection from the vehicle (Howell et al., 2003). When a crash occurs and the car stops, passengers are still traveling at the vehicle’s original speed upon impact. Therefore, wearing a seat belt can prevent injuries caused by hitting the windshield, steering wheel, or other interior parts of the car. Being ejected from a car can result in numerous injuries that could be prevented by simply wearing a seat belt. About ten years prior to my accident, my aunt had a similar wreck, but she wasn’t wearing her seat belt. Instead of staying in the car and suffering minor injuries, she was thrown through the windshield, landed twenty feet from the car, and suffered injuries and complications that still exist in her life today. From my own experience, and from the experiences I have witnessed, the use of a seat belt definitely saves lives and lowers the risk of injury. Furthermore, I feel compelled to share the importance of seat belt use when I think of the possibility of losing someone due to their negligence of performing a simple, quick

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