Myth: Seat-belts are uncomfortable or inconvenient.
Fact: People quickly become used to wearing seatbelts and once wearing becomes a habit there is no discomfort or inconvenience. The imaginary discomfort or inconvenience of wearing a belt the first few times in no way compares to the serious discomfort and inconvenience of motor vehicle crash injury. Newer seat-belts are made so that comfortable movement is possible but they will still lock up in sudden stops or crashes.
Myth: Drivers in airbag-equipped vehicles don’t need to wear seat-belts.
Fact: Airbags provide supplemental protection in frontal crashes by protecting the head and chest from hitting the steering wheel or dashboard, but airbags will not help in a side or rear impact or roll-over crash. An airbag by itself reduces the risk of dying by only 12%, whereas a seat-belt reduces fatality risk by 45–60%. Motorists should wear a seat-belt for
protection in all types of crashes.
Myth: Wearing a seat-belt might lead to getting trapped in a burning car or caught in one under water.
Fact: Less than 1 out of 200 traffic-related incidents involve fire or water submersion. The greatest danger is with the impact that precedes the fire or submersion in water. If a car occupant is not using a seat-belt, it is very likely that they will be knocked unconscious
or severely injured. Chances of escape are 3 to 5 times better while wearing a seat-belt.
Myth: It is better to be thrown clear of a car in a collision.
Fact: Being thrown from a vehicle is four times more likely to lead to fatal injury in a crash, and three quarters of people who are thrown from the car are killed. The force of an impact can throw someone nearly 50 metres, or 15 car lengths. Seat-belts also prevent a car occupant’s head from smashing into the windshield, which could cause spinal damage. The best bet in a crash is to stay inside the vehicle, securely held by the seat-belt.
Myth: Seat-belts can hurt you in a crash.
Fact: Properly worn seat-belts seldom cause injuries. If they do, the injuries are usually surface bruises and are generally less severe than would have been the case without any belt. Studies have consistently shown that injuries in most serious crashes would have been much more severe had seat-belts not been worn.
Myth: Seat-belts are unnecessary at low speeds and on short trips.
Fact: Of road crash casualties who were not restrained, 70% were travelling at less than 50 km/h. A collision at 50 km/h has the same effect as falling from the fourth floor of a building. Two thirds of crashes happen less than 15 km away from home.
Myth: Wearing a seat-belt in the back is not necessary.
Fact: When a crash happens an unrestrained passenger in the back seat will be propelled against the front seat with a force of several tonnes, crushing the front seat occupant.
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