4 Safety Facts About Seat Belts
The first thing any responsible rider or driver will do when getting into a vehicle is restrain themselves with a seat belt. An indispensable safety mainstay, wearing a seatbelt can mean the difference between life and death in even the worst accidents. Seat belts are mentioned often, but their safety precautions go beyond simply restraining a person in an accident. Below are four safety facts about seat belts:
Seat Belt Injuries Are Exaggerated
A common fear of drivers and passengers alike is the widespread idea that seat belts can cause a severe injury in an accident. If seat belts are worn properly, the risk of injury is significantly reduced. Injuries caused by seat belts are often incidental, such as bruising and soreness, which often heals shortly after an accident. Many studies conclude that even in cases of bruising and minor seat belt injury, the outcome could have been much worse if a seat belt hadn’t been worn at all.
Seat Belts Are Meant for One-Time Use
Seat belts were designed with one-time use in mind. That’s not to say that the seat belts would not work after an accident, but experts say that if an accident has occurred, seat belts should be replaced. Doing so can ensure that the safety of drivers and passengers alike is not compromised.
Injuries and Deaths Could Be Prevented
According to research form the US Department of Transportation, nearly half of all injures and deaths that occur as a result of a car or truck accident could be prevented by wearing a seat belt. In fact, according to a study by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 64 percent of passengers killed in crashes in a recent year were not wearing their seat belt.
Airbags Are Not Enough
A largely cited reason a people don’t wear seat belts is because they believe an airbag would be enough to prevent injury on its own in the event of an accident. Studies show that nothing could be further from the truth. Airbags are often deployed in safety tests in conjunction and timing with seat belt usage. Without a seatbelt, a driver or passenger could be launched quickly into their obstacle, causing a serious injury before the airbag has the chance to fully deploy. The result is often a serious head, neck, or back injury and often, death.
Seat belts have been proven time and time again as an essential object for a person’s safety. Many companies take care to research and develop seat belts that are well constructed to survive crash tests. But sometimes, despite all their research, seat belts can fail and the results could be deadly.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a motor vehicle accident as a result of a failed or defective seat belt, contact an experienced product liability lawyer who could help. Contact the Law Offices of Berger Lagnese & Paul, LLC today by calling 412-471-4300 or contact online to schedule your case consultation.