Seat belt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Seat belt - Essay Example The UK government tries to enforce the seat belt policy which was first implemented in 1983 (BBC News, 2009). Seat belts have saved 35,000 lives in the UK in the past 25 years. In 2007, 1432 car occupants were killed in car accidents out of which 34% had not belted up (BBC News, 2009). Seat belts and child restraints are secondary safety devices designed to minimize and prevent injury to the car occupants when a crash occurs (FIA Foundation, 2009). They reduce the contact with the interior of the vehicle thereby reducing the severity of the injuries if it occurs. They also prevent the occupants from being ejected from the vehicle in addition to preventing injury to other occupants of the vehicle. Studies conducted throughout the world have shown conclusively that seat belts if worn properly can save lives. Usage of seat belts reduces the probability of being killed by 40-50% of the drivers and front seat passengers and by about 25% for the rear seat passengers (FIA Foundation, 2009). Seat belts have been found to be most effective in frontal impacts and in run-off-the-road crashes. However, even though the seat belts have been suitably designed and the law formulated and implemented, valuable lives are still lost as people ignore warnings. Wearing the seat belt can increase the chances of survival in a crash or reduce the likelihood of serious injury (National Accident Helpline, 2010) but most people do not pay heed to such warning especially for short journeys. Seat belts limit the forward motion of the occupant which slows down the occupant’s deceleration in a crash. This prevents the occupant’s ejection from the vehicle. Both drivers and passengers in the UK have to follow the national seat belt law (Hartman, 2012). If the car is equipped with seat belts the driver and the passengers both in the front and back seats have to wear the seat belts. If the passenger violates the law the passengers is ticketed and not the driver. However, the driver is