Seat Belt Myths and Fun Facts

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By: Taranjit | Last Updated: November 30 2020

Seat belts are that needed safety feature that many feel is not that necessary to wear in all situations. Oh I am just going down the street, it’s okay if I don’t buckle up. Or if you grew up with Indian parents and relatives this may be something you have heard on repeat: back passengers don’t need to wear their seat belts only the front occupants do. This drove me crazy when my mom or other relatives who were visiting opted out of wearing a seat belt and backed it up with the reason that only the driver and front passenger are required to wear, and it is completely okay if the back passengers don’t. No! This is insane. Riding in a car, no matter what seat, you are all at risk of being injured in an accident, and wearing a seat belt can help in minimizing those injuries and saving your life.

I will literally not put the car in drive until everyone has put on their seat belt. Sometimes I feel like the mom and have to be like, we are not going anywhere until you buckle up.

So naturally, with opposing views or growing up in different countries, the facts (or more like myths) about seat belts are not always true. Let’s dive in.

Myth or Real Deal?

In regards to seat belt use, there are many myths that are floating around out there. Time to point them out and prove them wrong.

1. It is not necessary to wear a seat belt because my car has airbags

MYTH!

Yes. Airbags are a part of the cars safety feature, but they only work in protecting you when you wear your seat belt.

2. Seat belts will trap you when under water or in a fire.

MYTH!

Less than 1% of all crashes involve water or fire. But think about it, if you want to escape when your car is underwater or in a fire, then you have to be conscious. And how do you increase your chances of staying conscious? By wearing your seat belt!

3. Seat belts are not needed if going slow or not going far.

MYTH!

This is exactly what I was talking about above. People may feel that since they are not going very fast or are only going down the road, wearing that seat belt is not necessary. But this is far from the truth. In fact, is more important to wear a seat belt when going on a routine trip or going somewhere close because majority of the severe crashes that occur happen when you are traveling at speeds under 40 mph or going somewhere within 25 miles from your home.

4. Pickup trucks are safe, so I don’t need to wear a seat belt.

MYTH!

No matter the size of type of vehicle, seat belts play an important role in keeping you safe. Don’t make up excuses or reasons for not wearing them. Simply wearing a seat belt in these bigger vehicles (i.e. vans, SUVs, and pickup trucks) reduces your chance of injury by 60%, especially for the front seat occupants.

5. Guys are less at risk so they don’t have to wear a seat belt.

MYTH!

What kind of crazy logic is this! What are men just shielded from being injured during a crash? It is equally important for everyone, no matter gender or age, to wear a seat belt. They do decrease your risk of injury. In fact, young men are the ones that are at a higher risk and it is more important for them to wear their seat belts. Young men tend to participate in more dangerous or risky behaviors behind the wheel. In fact, 60% of the male occupants that were injured in a crash in 2017 were not wearing a seat belt. They could have easily reduced their injury by simply wearing a seat belt.

6. Every state has a seat belt law.

FALSE!

This is not true. Only 49 states have a seat belt law, with New Hampshire being the only exception. Isn’t that crazy? You would think it would be a law everywhere, but nope. Depending on the state you live in, there might be a primary or secondary seat belt law in effect. But law or no law, just wear the belt. It is for your safety and your life is irreplaceable if something were to happen.

Final Thoughts:

By no means am I implying wearing a seat belt makes you invincible, but it does help in providing you more protection than if you didn’t wear one at all. Protect yourself and those around you by wearing your seat belt, and don’t participate in dangerous behavior when behind the wheel. We all want to make it home in one piece to our family, and we are responsible to help make this happen.