Seatbelt Safety for Family and Children

Everyone knows that seat belts save lives, and the "Click It or Ticket" campaign has helped to decrease unrestrained (without the use of a seat belt) fatalities since 2005 by raising awareness about the importance of seat belt use. But are you getting the most available protection from your seat belt, and are you sure that you're using your children's car seats and booster seats correctly?
How important is seat belt use?
The statistics tell the tale: Lap and shoulder belts reduce the risk of fatal injury by 45 percent for occupants of the front seat - the most dangerous place to be in a passenger vehicle, as most accidents are head-on. For light trucks, lap and shoulder belts reduce the risk of fatal injury even more, by 60 percent.
Physics are the reason that seat belts are so effective: When you wear your seat belt, you're effectively attached to the car - so when the car stops, you stop. Without that restraint, your body stays in motion until something stops it, namely the steering wheel, dashboard or windshield. That's why injuries are so much worse in unrestrained accidents: At speeds as low as 35 mph, knees or wrists can break easily - even if the airbag deploys.
How to wear a seat belt - the right way:

• Move the seat as far back from the steering wheel as possible.
• Make sure the belt lies flat - a twisted belt means much less surface area to absorb the force of the crash.
• Fit the belt across your hips, not your belly.
• Ensure that the shoulder strap crosses your collarbone.
• Tighten the belt after it is buckled.

Pregnant women often receive mixed messages about whether to use seat belts because of the harm that they might do to an unborn baby in a crash. But pregnant women who are involved in unrestrained car accidents are much more likely to lose their babies than those who are strapped in correctly. When you are pregnant:

• Wear the seat belt across the top of your thighs, not across your belly.
• Move the seat back from the steering wheel as much as possible, with the steering wheel at least 10 inches from your chest.
• The shoulder belt should still be worn correctly over your shoulder as usual.

Infant seats and booster seats
Using the proper restraints with infants and children is crucial for their survival in an accident:

• Children ages 12 and under should always ride in the back seat - especially babies: An airbag can kill a baby in a rear-facing car seat.
• Babies should ride in rear-facing infant seats until they reach age one and weigh at least 20 pounds. After that, they can ride forward-facing in a convertible car seat with a five-point harness until they weigh 40 pounds (around age 2 or 3).
• Toddlers and children weighing between 40 and 80 pounds should use a belt-positioning booster seat along with the regular shoulder and lap belt.
• Use your baby's car seat correctly! Read the manual, pull up on the belt to tighten it once it is strapped in, and make sure the seat doesn't move. For a free car seat inspection, call your local hospital or police station.

Even if you find yourself without a booster seat for your child, still use the seat belt - it's much better than nothing. But never use one seat belt for two children, which can injure both; and never buckle yourself in and hold your baby on your lap - a crash will make the baby fly out of your hands.
Seat belt use on the rise
The Click it or Ticket campaign reports that since the program began in 2005:

• 20 percent fewer children die each year from car accidents.
• Child restraint use has risen from 88 percent to 99 percent.
• Toddler restraint use has risen from 60 percent to 94 percent - an amazing increase.
• Adult seat belt use is at an all-time high of 79 percent.

And the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports a slight decrease in unrestrained fatalities, from 59 percent in 2002 to 55 percent in 2006. But just one unrestrained fatality is one too many. Make sure that you, your relatives, friends and passengers always buckle up!

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