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:

    What to Use
    WARNING: Adding only plain water to the cooling system can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other liquid such as alcohol, can boil before the proper coolant mixture will. The vehicle’s cool ...

    Instrument Panel Illumination Control
    The brightness of the instrument panel lighting and steering wheel controls can be adjusted. : Move and hold the thumbwheel up or down to brighten or dim the lights. ...

    Braking in Emergencies
    With ABS, you can steer and brake at the same time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more than even the very best braking. ...