Web Traffic School
Restraints and Protective Equipment
SEATBELTS

OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS
AND PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

Americans have been in love with the automobile since its invention.
When the automobile is combined with a lack of restraints, the result is a strange version of the airplane.
And a lot of aches and pains.
As incredible as it seems, it took us 50 years to realize that what was happening to people in their automobiles really wasn't a laughing matter.

Nearly a decade later we figured out one way to reduce the number of traffic casualties: seatbelts.

But they never really clicked with most people.
So, more than 20 years later, we made it mandatory. Are we quick or what? Now it's the law. You're required to wear safety belts to drive a car. Even though we've been told time and time again about the life-saving qualities of seatbelts, some people still don't believe it. So, we're going to tell you one more time. And we're going to keep telling you until you get the message. Safety belts can definitely save your life.
Airbags combined with safety belts give you an even better chance for survival.

And what about air bags? Air bags have been known to prevent serious injuries in head-on collisions at speeds of up to 65 mph. That's not just a lot of hot air, either. These things combined with safety belts give you an even better chance of survival.

So, why not look for cars equipped with air bags? Sure, they might cost a little more money. But believe me, your life, or the life of your family, is well worth the extra expense.
VINCE AND LARRY
Hey look. If you won't listen to me, maybe you'll listen to a couple of guys who really know something about safety belts and air bags.

Vince and Larry. Oh yes. Take it away guys.

Do not attempt this at home. We are professional dummies.

Oh, NOOOOO!!!!!!
Alright, pal. That's it. That was the last crash test for me.

But Vince...

Yes. You know what? I've got a nice safe career as a department store dummy waiting for me.
Vince, you can't quit. Now, more people are buckling up everyday and the word...

At last, a wardrobe. A real wardrobe.

The word is getting around. People are starting to pay attention.

Ah, come on Larry. Look, we're munching on wiper blades so that people will remember to buckle up, and nobody's listening.

But Vince, they are. There are new films and videos being made right now about all kinds of crash protection devices.
Automatic safety belts, air bags -- it's an idea most of us have grown up with. By the time we're old enough to drive, we've heard the message a dozen different ways. Such a simple idea: you're safer when you wear a safety belt. Even so, there are still people who don't wear safety belts. Maybe they just don't realize what a difference safety belts can make...
Here's what can happen when a car crashes into something even at a moderate speed. Within 1/10 of a second, the car stops, but unbelted, the driver or passenger continues to move forward. The average person will hit the dash board with a force of three tons and in 1/50 of a second the head will crash through the windshield. By then...well....
But with a safety belt properly secured, a crash at the same speed can be nothing more than a little bump. In fact, it could prevent serious injuries.
So why don't people wear safety belts all the time?

"I'm just lazy I guess."
"I just forgot to put it on."
"I'm afraid of getting trapped if the car goes in the water or something."
"It's too uncomfortable. I don't like it."
"Well, if I'm in a wreck, I'd die anyway. So what good is it?"
"I'd much rather be thrown from the car."
"I forgot - I got out a few minutes ago and forgot to put it back on."
"It always gets in the way."
People say that all the time. But the truth is, less than one-half of 1 percent of car crashes involve fire or submersion, which can trap the driver or passengers. And even then, people secured by safety belts have a better chance to survive because the belt holds them upright in the seat, and they aren't as likely to be knocked unconscious.

Here's another reason people give for not wearing safety belts: "I'm only going a few blocks to the store. Why bother?"
The fact is, most crashes that cause death and injury happen within 25 miles of home at speeds of 30 to 40 mph. Without a safety belt, death has been known to occur at speeds as low as 12 mph. But people wearing safety belts have survived crashes at up to 60 mph. Makes you think, doesn't it? And while you're thinking about it, let's look at the proper way to wear safety belts. Safety belts are designed to hold you in your seat on impact, and to help you absorb the forces of the crash in the strongest areas of your body. The pelvis is a very strong bone capable of withstanding great forces, so your lap belt should be worn two to four inches below the belt line.
Not over your abdomen, but low on the lap against your thighs. Adjust it so it's comfortable but it's not too comfortable. Your shoulder belt should come over your shoulder and across the chest; never behind your back or under your arm. Make sure it's not too slack.
There should only be room enough for a closed fist between your belt and your chest. If it is slack, adjust it. In most cars, a gentle tug will do. Just pull the shoulder belt out about five inches and let it go.
This is the proper positioning for an infant seat. Facing the rear of the car. Never take an infant anywhere in a car, not even home from the hospital, without putting the baby in a properly installed, crash-tested infant carrier.

Check the instructions that come with the infant carrier for proper installation.
If you can't afford an infant carrier, there are service organizations that will help you rent or buy one. You know, automobile crashes are the number one killer and crippler of young children. It's tragic -- and this is what makes it even more tragic: up to 90% of those child deaths and 80% of injuries could be prevented through proper use of child safety seats.

Every time you get in a car, use safety belts and proper child safety restraints for your child's sake, for your sake, and for one more good reason: it's the law, right?
Right.

In closing let's look at the most common excuse people give for not wearing a safety belt.

"I just never got in the habit."

It takes only three seconds to fasten the safety belt. See? Three seconds of effort increases your chances of surviving a crash by as much as 50%. So make it a habit.
SAFETY BELTS, SMART FROM THE START

Hey, Larr, it won't be long now...
Won't be long till what, old buddy?
Till we're off to store dummy stardom. You know, with these automatic safety belts and air bags keeping people safe in their cars.
Well not everybody.
Oh sure and you know the new shows are getting the safety message up worldwide.
Well, yeah, but...
We can quit this business, man! Come on, no more gearshift guacamole. You know what I mean?
Vince, brace yourself. There are still people out there who don't buckle up.

What are you trying to tell me? You mean they really think it's safer to get thrown out of their cars than to stay in them during the crash?

If only they could see what we see every day... not wearing safety belts and hoping to get thrown clear of your car is asking for it.
You're four times safer if you stay inside your car and once an impact is over, you have a much better chance of getting out if you're conscious.

Look, I don't care how good a driver you are. You can't avoid every crash and you can't predict when one is going to happen.

Just loading the kids to go to the store, huh. Most crashes happen less than 25 miles from home and at low speeds. But it doesn't take much to do a lot of harm. I know. I've been there.
You know, by going through all these tests, Vince, we're helping engineers design some terrific car safety devices.

What are you doing?
Hey Buddy, this is going to be a front-ender. I'm going to save this face for a modeling career.

Vince, we're dummies. We don't buckle up or use air bags...

Oh, NOOOOO!!!!
SAFETY EQUIPMENT PROCEDURES
You could learn a lot from a dummy. Buckle your safety belt!

Front seatbelts are required equipment if seatbelt anchorages were part of the original equipment of your automobile. This applies to most cars on the road today.

Wear your seatbelts. It makes good sense. And it's the law.
The law requires the driver and front seat passengers to wear seatbelts when driving. Just as the law requires the driver and front seat passengers to wear seatbelts when driving, the law also requires that babies must be in infant seats, and children must be buckled up in either front or back seats.

The law requires that all children under 4 years of age or less than 36 inches in height to be secured in a child safety seat. Children at least four years of age but younger than 17 years of age riding anywhere in a passenger vehicle must be secured by a safety belt. Additionally, no one younger than 18 years old may ride in the open bed of a vehicle or trailer (unless it is the only vehicle owned by the household).
In choosing a safety seat for your child, remember three important
points. It must have a seal of federal approval, it must fit properly in
your car, and it must be the proper size for your child.

And remember: never place a child safety seat in the front seat of any vehicle.

Deaths of children in collisions have occurred at speeds of less than 10 mph. So be safe and always secure your child in a federally approved safety seat in the back seat of the car.
Drivers wearing safety belts have more control over their cars in emergency situations and are therefore more likely to avoid collisions.

If you’re involved in a collision, your safely belts are designed to keep you well within the safety zone within your car. This helps you maintain better control of the vehicle to avoid secondary collision.
By making the impact of the first crash work on you sooner, belts give you the benefit of increased stopping distance: while dissipating the forces of the impact quickly, the belt takes the brunt of the impact instead of your body taking it through glass and steel.

Proper wearing of seatbelts is very important during pregnancy. For maximum protection from seatbelts, seats should be upright. Extend the latch plate and belt as far as you can, attaching the buckle until it clicks. If a longer belt is needed, extenders are available from automobile dealers, usually at no extra charge.
Position the lap belt as low on your hips as possible. It should settle snugly around your hip and pelvic bones and across your upper thighs. There should be no slack in the lap belt portion. Position the shoulder belt over your shoulder, collar bone, and down across your chest. Many cars offer a comfort feature in this system that will allow a small amount of slack. It works like a window shade. Pull the belt out at least five inches and let it retract.

Pull it out again about an inch and release. Since seatbelt mechanisms vary, consult the owner's manual for your vehicle.
In a 2002 safety alert message the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) warned consumers to watch out for problems with child seats equipped with recessed buckles built into the seat between the child's legs.

NHTSA WARNS OF POTENTIAL BUCKLE PROBLEMS ON CHILD SEATS

NHTSA said the buckles in these seats can easily collect particles of food, drink, dirt, sand or other material that may interfere with the buckle. The consumer may have difficulty latching and unlatching dirty buckles.
In some cases the material may cause a "false latch" if the user mistakenly believes that the buckle is securely latched when it is not.

To ensure that the child is securely fastened in the child seat, the user should always check that the buckle is fully latched every time the seat is used. The user does this by (1) inserting the latch plate fully into the buckle; (2) listening for a click; and (3) tugging firmly on the harness webbing to make sure the buckle is latched.
Consumers should be sure to inspect the car seat regularly for food or debris down in the buckle area. If the buckle becomes difficult to operate, or fails to latch even after it is cleaned, NHTSA recommends that the consumer contact the child seat manufacturer and the safety agency's toll-free Auto Safety Hotline, 1-888- 327-4236, to report the problems associated with child seat buckle operation.
If the buckle does not latch properly even after it is cleaned, the seat should not be used.
The Texas Engineering Extension Services offers a training course regarding Child Safety. Operation Kids is a law enforcement child occupant protection class that teaches law enforcement officers to identify "gross misuse" at a glance during traffic stops and public contacts. The training identifies certain types of child safety seats, the dynamics of the seats, crash dynamics in reference to the child seats and covers the child occupant protection laws.

THE BUCKLE UP TEXAS PROGRAM

The Buckle Up Texas Program is a statewide campaign to increase adult safety belt and child safety seat usage. Fines for not wearing a safety belt can cost up to $200. The Texas Department of Transportation and DPS in November, 2003, publicized the fact that for every 1 percent increase in the number of people buckling up, 25 lives are saved and 586 fewer people are injured in accidents.
The program combines a concerted local and statewide media campaign with additional law enforcement activity to reinforce the message. These periods of added enforcement and concentrated media efforts, called Waves, are centered on the high traffic holiday periods. Police officers will be working overtime, issuing citations, in an effort to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities on Texas Roadways. Studies have shown that the combination of media exposure and increased traffic enforcement are successful in increasing the occupant protection usage rates.
Beyond the human toll, rising insurance rates and medical costs are everyone's concern. A 9 percent increase in seat belt use in Texas would produce economic savings of $392 million.
Restraint use among young children rose to a record level in 2002, according to estimates from a major survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
An estimated 99 percent of infants under age one are now restrained, up 4 percentage points from 2000. Fully 94 percent of toddlers are now restrained, a 3 percentage point gain over two years ago.

The new survey indicates that 83 percent of children ages four to seven are restrained.
Children are the most vulnerable passengers riding on America's roadways. It is extremely good news that more of them are now safely secured.
However, there is serious concern about other findings from the survey, which shows that many young children continue to ride in the front seat.

An estimated 15 percent of infants under age one now ride in a front seating position; 10 percent of toddlers ages one to three ride in the front; and 29 percent of youngsters ages four to seven do so.
Restraint use estimates are based on the National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS), conducted periodically by NHTSA. The latest survey was conducted in June 2002 and its results were compared with a prior NOPUS survey done in the fall of 2000, which also tracked child restraint use.

THE LATEST NATIONAL SURVEY REACHED THESE KEY FINDINGS:

· The link between restraint use of drivers and their child passengers remains strong. More than 90 percent of belted drivers also restrain the children traveling in their vehicles. Approximately 70 percent of unbelted drivers restrain their child passengers.

THE LATEST NATIONAL SURVEY REACHED THESE KEY FINDINGS:

· Male drivers are restraining their children more often, bringing them to near parity with female drivers. The NHTSA 2000 survey indicated a seven-percentage-point disparity between men and women. That gap has now been narrowed to about 1 percentage point.

THE LATEST NATIONAL SURVEY REACHED THESE KEY FINDINGS:

· Parents appear to be more aware of the need for appropriate restraint use based on the age and size of their children. The latest 2003 National Occupant Protection Use Survey indicates lower incidence of "premature graduation" in the use of restraint systems. Premature graduation involves transitioning children to the next stage of restraint system use before they are ready in terms of age or size. For example, infants are placed in forward-facing seats too soon, or children are moved from a child safety seat directly to an adult safety belt too soon, bypassing the booster-seat stage.