Road safety
Protect the ones you love and always buckle up.
It's not just around the corner or down the road. A high percentage of car accidents occur within 10kms of your home.
Driving out of your driveway, down the road, or around the corner may seem a quick and simple task, but an accident could happen at any time, especially for those short distances when we don’t expect it. As drivers and passengers, we all know that buckling up is essential, so buckle up every time, even if you’re driving just around the corner.
Dangers of not wearing a seat belt
Passengers travel at the same speed as the moving vehicle they are in. When the vehicle stops abruptly, passengers continue to move due to inertia, and will hit the steering wheel or windshield hard if they have not fastened their seat belts. Deaths and injury could result from such collisions.
A collision at 60km/h is equivalent to falling from a height of 14m or a 5-storey building.
Internal injuries could also happen as a result of sudden deceleration of the moving vehicle.
Benefits of wearing a seat belt
Reduce the risk of being ejected from a vehicle. Those who are ejected from a vehicle are 6 times more likely to die compared to occupants who remain in the vehicle.
Protect or minimise chances of body’s contact with the interior of a car.
A child can ride safely without a booster seat when you can say yes to all of these five tips.
Your children’s knees should bend at the edge of the seat when their backs and bottoms are against the vehicle seat back.The vehicle lap belt should fit across the upper thighs; and the shoulder belt should fit across the shoulder and chest. Children are usually between 8 and 12 years old when the seat belt fits them properly.
Once your children pass the Safety Belt Fit Test, teach them the importance of using seat belts on every ride, whether they’re with you or not. If they learn this lesson early, they’ll be more likely to buckle up when they’re older or when you’re not around. Kids are VIPs – just ask them. VIPs ride in the back seat, so keep all kids in the back seat until they are 13.
When adults wear seat belts, kids wear seat belts. So be a good example and buckle up for every ride. Be sure everyone in the vehicle buckles up, too.A lap and shoulder belt provides the best protection for your children and should be used on every ride.
We know kids like to slouch or lean against the windows during the drive, but it makes a difference in terms of safety. Have your children sit upright when using seat belts.
This message is brought to you by hatzolah, In the interest of road safety.
