Buckle Up
What could you do in less than 3 seconds to save your life?
- Probably not lifesaving.
Answer a text message.
- Definitely takes a lot more than 3 seconds.
Study for the biology exam.
- Without a doubt!
Wear a seat belt.
This is what we know. Wearing a seat belt is one of the best habits you'll ever have.
If you weigh 125 pounds and are in a crash at 30 miles per hour, your body will hit the inside of your vehicle with a force of 3,750 pounds if you're not wearing a seat belt. Do you think you'll walk away? Perhaps, but likely with serious injuries. Or, you may not live through it.
What are some excuses people use for not wearing a seat belt?
- A crash when you're thrown around the vehicle will make them worse.
"It will mess up my clothes."
- The air bag is designed to work along with the seat belt, not to replace it.
"That's what the air bag is for."
- Really? Multiply your body weight by the speed you are driving. That's the force that you'll hit the inside of the vehicle with, if you stay in it. And your chances of living if you're thrown from the vehicle? Not great.
"I don't need to wear them unless I'm on the Interstate."
- Less than 1% of all crashes end up in this situation.
"If there is a fire or if I fall into the river, I'll never get out of the vehicle."
- Most crashes are single vehicle crashes, and do not result from heavy traffic.
"I only need a seat belt if there is a lot of traffic."
Everyone in the vehicle needs to wear a seat belt, every trip, every time.
3 seconds to save your life!
- In less than three seconds, you can click your seat belt and save your life if you're in a crash. If you get in and out of your vehicle ten times a day, that's still just a minute every day to help you be safer on the road.
- As a teen, your life is just beginning. Statistics tell us that many teens are not buckling up when they get in a vehicle.
