5 things to know about buckling up

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By: Taranjit | Last Updated: July 6, 2020

Buckling up is common knowledge or a habit we have learned to develop (and if not, it should be a habit), but there are people out there that don’t always feel they need to buckle up. Wearing a seat belt, and properly wearing it, play a huge role in keeping you safe and protecting you from severe injuries if you were ever involved in a crash. An accident is not going to warn you the morning of that you will be involved in a crash today so be sure to wear your seat belt. It is the exact opposite. You never know when you will be involved in a crash. That’s part of the risk you are willing to take when you get behind the wheel or ride in a car, but that shouldn’t stop you from taking all precautions to keep yourself as safe as possible in case something unexpected does occur.

1. Wearing a seat belt is the most effective way to keep yourself safe during an accident.

Seat belts are one of the best safety features in a car that help protect your from distracted and impaired drivers. If you were involved in a crash (hopefully this stays a hypothetical for you and never becomes a reality), the seat belt keeps you safe in so many ways. It stops you from flying through your windshield or slamming into your dashboard. It also protects you from hitting your airbags too hard by slowing down the force of impact.

Some fast facts on seat belts: 13,941 people were saved from death in 2015 simply because they wore a seat belt, and about 64,000 lives were saved from the years 2011-2015. That is equivalent to the amount of people that could fill a large sports arena!

2. The fit of your seat belt matters.

I never knew that this was a thing. Seat belts come in varying sizes? I guess it makes sense when you really thing about it since not everyone is the same in terms of height or build.

When you are buying a car, in addition to looking at all the features the car comes with, make sure you check the actual seat belt and see if it fits you or not. And if the belt is not the best fit, you can ask your dealer for seat belt adjusters or extenders to help it better accommodate your needs and your body. Funny story. This is what my driving test examiner had asked for when I went for my test because she said my car’s seat belt was not big enough for her. I didn’t know I had to carry around a seat belt extender for her, and she was ready to dock me some points for it. But, that is an interesting story for another day.

As for the classic cars or the older models, you may have to get it retrofitted for the required shoulder and lap belt. Again, this is something you can ask your vehicle’s manufacturer more about. They should be able to help you.

3. Airbags don’t replace seat belts. They were designed to work together.

Having airbags in your car are not a replacement for seat belts. If that were the case, then why would cars still have seat belts?

Airbags were designed to work along with wearing a seat belt and to provide that extra layer of protection in the case of a crash. Not wearing a seat belt and simply relying on the airbag to keep you safe is a recipe for a disaster. The seat belt holds you in place and helps reduce the amount of force you are going at towards the airbag. It basically stops you from slamming into the airbag and being severely injured, or worst killed.

4. Buckling up guidelines to keep you safe.

There are two main parts to the seat belt: the part that goes over your shoulder and across your body, and the part that goes across your lap. Both are needed to keep you safe.

Hence why you should NEVER put the shoulder part of the belt behind you or under your arm. It is doing no good being back there. Unless your goals is to keep your seat safe. Because let me break it to you, your seat is already (hopefully) secured to your car. You, on the other hand are not, and that shoulder and across the body part of the belt helps keep you in place and prevents you from being ejected from your seat in a crash.

At the same time, you want the top part of the seat belt to go across the middle of your chest and be away from you neck, and the bottom part of the belt should be resting across your hips or lap and not on your stomach. Together, the shoulder and lap seat belt are designed to be placed across your rib cage and pelvis because these are the parts of the body that are better able to withstand the force of a crash over other parts of your body.

5. But what about if I am pregnant?

Doctors recommend that you wear the seat belt. Being pregnant doesn’t exempt you from having to wear one. In fact, it is there to help protect you and your baby during an accident. Just like everyone else, pregnant women should wear the seat belt with the belt going across your chest, but away from your neck. And the lap part should go BELOW your belly not over it. You never want to place the belt on or over your belly.

Final Thoughts:

In the end, it is all about keeping you safe. And in order to do so, it is important that you not only wear the seat belt properly, but also make sure it fits you. Buckle up. Buckle up. Buckle up.