What Is the Purpose of Seat Belts?
by Pallab DuttaA seat belt is perhaps the most important safety feature of your automobile. Being casual about the use of a seat belt can lead to serious repercussions and cause fatal injuries and even deaths in automobile crashes or accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) points out that 63 percent of deaths annually on American roads and highways are due to not using seat belts.
Save Lives
The primary purpose of seat belts is to increase the chances of survival of yourself and others in the car in the case of a deadly crash or a serious accident on highways, expressways and even local roads.
Stable Driving Position
Wearing a seat belt keeps your body position stable behind the wheel and helps you focus on the primary purpose of driving safely.
Better Control
A seat-belt wearing driver is generally in better control of the wheel when having to make sudden forced maneuvers, having to forcefully apply brakes or having to react to other difficult scenarios or obstacles on the road.
Limit Serious Injuries
Even though you might be a safe driver, there is no guarantee that other reckless, casual or aggressive drivers will obey street signs and traffic rules. Your seat belt will protect you from head and neck injuries and minor, serious or other grievous injuries.
Financial Savings
Medical emergencies, loss of working hours and disabilities due to accidents can be minimized if seat belts are worn, which can lead to financial savings over the long term.
Writer Bio
Based out of the metropolitan Washington D.C. area, Pallab Dutta has written on business, technology and management issues since 1994. He has freelanced for “The Wall Street Journal," “The Economic Times” and “The Times of India." Dutta holds a Bachelor of Science in economics from Bombay University and a Diploma in modern information systems from IIT Bombay.
