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

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.

Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle.

The rider does not stop.

The person keeps going until stopped by

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:

    Certification Label
    A vehicle specific Certification label is found on the rear edge of the driver door. The label shows the gross weight capacity of your vehicle, called the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR). ...

    Keys
    WARNING! Leaving children in a vehicle with the ignition key is dangerous for many reasons. Children or others could be badly injured or even killed. They could operate the power windows or ...

    Treadwear
    The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a specified government test course. For example, a tire graded 150 would w ...