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:

    How the System Works
    LDW uses a camera located between the inside rearview mirror and the windshield to detect the lane markings. (Lane Departure Warning): To turn LDW on and off, press the LDW control, located ...

    Outside Convex Mirror
    WARNING: A convex mirror can make things, like other vehicles, look farther away than they really are. If you cut too sharply into the right lane, you could hit a vehicle on the right. Check the ...

    Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
    Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for others to see the front of your vehicle during the day. Fully functional daytime running lamps are required on all vehicles first sold in Ca ...