Airbags are Not a Replacement for Seat Belts
Airbags are not a replacement for seat belts – for some reason there is an incorrect misconception out there that air bags will protect you if you don’t wear a seat belt. This is not true even to the slightest degree.
In fact, airbags are actually calibrated to work in conjunction with seat belts and are set up to minimize injury when people are wearing seat belts. Seat belts help keep you in place so that when an airbag deploys, your body will be positioned to be protected by the air bag properly.
If you are not wearing your seat belt, there is no guarantee that an air bag will provide the protection it is designed to provide. When you are not wearing a seat belt, it is difficult to predict how your body will react to impact and which direction your body will go – seat belts help to keep you in place so air bags can do their job.
Air Bags and Car Today
Airbags are included in every car that is sold today. At a minimum, vehicles have front air bags with an increasing number of vehicles having side air bags as well. In most instances, air bags are built into the dashboard or steering wheel of your vehicle, depending on the make, model, and design of your vehicle. In general, they are designed to launch automatically when there is a sudden change in speed and deceleration. Sensors are designed to anticipate a car crash scenario, with the main goal of air bags being to protect driving, particular when head on or direct crashes occur.
Don’t Air Bags Cause Injuries?
As outlined by the Canadian Safety Council, a study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that more than 95% of all injured caused by air bags where minor. In only about 1% of cases where injures caused by air bags deemed to be fatal.
What does this mean? It means that even though air bags can cause some minor bumps and bruises, they will help save your life and help prevent more serious injury.
When used properly, seat belts and air bags save lives. Buck up and drive safe!