Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat on wheels.
Put someone on it.
Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider does not stop.
The person keeps going until stopped by something. In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield...
or the instrument panel...
or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance, and your strongest bones take the forces. That is why safety belts make such good sense.
See also:
Instrument Panel Overview
The main components of your instrument panel are the following:
A. Exterior Lamp Control. See Headlamps on
page 162. Dome Lamp Override Button.
Instrument Panel Brightness Control.
B. Air Outl ...
Replacing Safety Belt System Parts after a Crash
WARNING!
A crash can damage the safety
belt system in the vehicle.
A damaged safety belt system
may not properly protect the
person using it, resulting in
serious injury or even death in a
...
Shifting Into Park
WARNING
It can be dangerous to get out of the vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake firmly set. The vehicle can roll. If you have
left the engine running, t ...