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

Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat on wheels.

Put someone on it.

Put someone on it.

Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider

Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider does not stop.

The person keeps going until stopped by something. In

The person keeps going until stopped by something. In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield...

or the instrument panel...

or the instrument panel...

or the safety belts!

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:

    Brake Fluid
    The brake master cylinder reservoir is filled with DOT 3 brake fluid. See Engine Compartment Overview for the location of the reservoir. There are only two reasons why the brake fluid level ...

    Trip Odometer
    The trip odometer can tell you how far your vehicle has been driven since you last set the trip odometer to zero. Your vehicle’s odometer works together with the Driver Information Center (DIC ...

    Cruise Control
    With cruise control, the vehicle can maintain a speed of about 40 km/h (25 mph) or more without keeping your foot on the accelerator. Cruise control does not work at speeds below 40 km/h (25 mph). On ...