Helpful Driving Information

SEAT BELTS

Every vehicle should be equipped with safety restraint equipment to protect the driver and passengers in case of a collision.
There are strict laws for seat belt and child safety equipment usage. The law requires occupants of a vehicle to be properly restrained in a seat belt or child safety seat. There is a fine for failing to do so and officers may pull a vehicle over if they see unbuckled occupants inside.

SEAT BELTS

Always wear your seat belts and make sure that the passengers in the vehicle are properly belted too. Seat belts can reduce injuries and prevent deaths.

MYTHS ABOUT SEAT BELTS

Myth: Seat belts can trap you inside a car.
Fact: It actually takes less than a second to take off a seat belt. This belief often stems from the fear of being trapped in a car on fire or one sinking in water. However, a seat belt may keep you from being knocked out.

MYTHS ABOUT SEAT BELTS

Myth: Seat belts are good on long trips, but I don't need them if I'm driving around town.
Fact: Half of all traffic deaths happen within 25 miles of home. Don't take chances with your life or the lives of your passengers. Your chance to escape will be better if you are conscious. Buckle up every time you drive.

MYTHS ABOUT SEAT BELTS

Myth: Some people are thrown clear in a collision and walk away with hardly a scratch.
Fact: Your chances of surviving a collision are five times as good if you stay inside the car. A seat belt can keep you from being thrown out into the path of another car.
Myth: I'm only going to the store. My little brother or sister doesn't need a child's car seat—it’s too much of a hassle.
Fact: Car collisions are the number one preventable cause of death for children. Buckle them up in an approved safety seat. It's worth it, and the law requires that you do.

CHILD SAFETY SEATS

Always follow your state child restraint seat laws. Make sure that the vehicle's seat belt is put through the correct slot in the safety seat.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends keeping children in booster seats until age eight, or unless the child is at least 4'9" tall.

CHILD SAFETY SEATS

To protect children, follow this four-step guideline:
1. Install rear-facing seats for infants aged 0 to 1
year old or up to 20 pounds in weight.
2. Install forwarding-facing seats for toddlers age
1 to 5 years old or up to 50 pounds.
3. Install booster chairs for children up to 8 years
old or up to 80 pounds in weight.
4. Provide seat belts (both lap and shoulder) for
all other passengers.

AIR BAGS

Most new vehicles have air bags to provide vehicle occupants extra protection in a collision. They provide a protective cushion between the person and the steering wheel, dashboard, and windshield. Note that seat belts and air bags are designed to work together, and injuries may occur if seat belts are not used in air-bag-equipped vehicles.

AIR BAGS

Air bags are stored in the steering wheel or dashboard and inflate during a serious collision, usually a front collision that occurs at over 10 mph. To do its important job, an air bag comes out of the dashboard at up to 200 mph, faster than the blink of an eye. It takes about 10 inches of space to inflate. The force of an air bag can hurt those who are too close to it.

AIR BAGS

Air bag related injuries can be prevented by following these safety tips:

• Driver and front seat passengers should be moved as far back as practical, particularly people of short stature. It is recommended that you sit at least 10 inches away from the air bag.
• Everyone should wear both lap AND shoulder belts and remove any excess slack in the belt.
• Children 12 and under should ride buckled up in the rear seat.