The Importance of Seat Belts in Vehicles
The importance of seat belts in vehicles has been a controversial issue with each side of the debate having solid facts to back up their stand. Having seat belts installed in cars is normally driven by the physics’ concept of inertia based on the idea of objects tending to resist changes in motion. Weighing the argument of those opposing and supporting the seat belt policy reveals that having this safety precaution is a necessary measure that has more benefits than costs. It is therefore advisable to ensure that all passengers and drivers in a moving vehicle are in seat belts even in short distance drives because accidents are not limited to long journeys.
Increase in Survival Rate
In most cases, the victims who survive after vehicles get involved in an accident are those who wear their safety belts. In this case, wearing the belt is a way of increasing the survival rate of all passengers. On a denser perspective, wearing or not wearing the safety belt can be viewed as a matter of life and death. Statistics show that safety belts reduce deaths caused by car crashes by more than half (Cummin et al., 2011). An analytical perspective of these informative statistics reveals that many lives would have been saved before if people embraced the seat belt policy. Being a good driver or having a good driver does not mean an accident will not occur. Many people have used this argument, but it is worth emphasizing that other drivers on the road may not be equally good hence the need to be in seat belts.
Equivalence to Other Safety Precautions
The emphasis on wearing the seatbelt can be equated to other safety precautions in other areas of work. For example, people working or conducting activities near construction sites are advised to put on their helmets. Medical practitioners in theaters are supposed to put on gowns well sterilized and removed upon use to prevent a possible spread of infections to other patients and the people they come into contact. Assumptions cannot, therefore, be made that accidents are not going to happen in these contexts and the best option is, therefore, to be ready for any eventuality. The measure will help to reduce minor and major injuries as a result of car accidents regardless of the nature or degree of damage.
Comfort versus Consequences
Seat belts are often considered as a discomfort, especially to those who are overweight and with big tummies. This argument would be self-defeating since being in a hospital bed regretting why one did not use a seat belt would be even more uncomfortable. In other words, the discomfort of the seat belt is far much tolerable than the discomfort of ailing in the hospital besides the psychological stress that can come along with it. People who are overweight tend to wear the seatbelt when they spot police officers and would opt not to wear the belt on short distance drives. However, a conclusion based on a cost-benefit analysis has revealed that it is worth being uncomfortable than suffer possible consequences.
Legal Requirements and Insurance
Another point worth considering is that fastening the safety belt is a legal requirement and as such going against it attracts legal sanctions often in the form of fines. The argument here is that in order to avoid unnecessary expenses, it would be wise always to wear the safety belt. On the other hand, insurance investigators are keen to find out if the occupants claiming an insurance cover had observed safety measures on or before an accident (Haq & Whitelegg, 2014). If not, the company may deny or reduce any award if the board discovers the victim was not wearing protective pieces of equipment such as a safety belt. It is, therefore, advised to be on the safe side of the law because the seat belt policy was well researched by experts in order to determine what would be good for the general public in as far as road safety is concerned.
Protecting Others in the Vehicle
Safety belts do not only help those buckled-up in them, they are equally important to other people in the same vehicle. Passengers who are not wearing seat belts can become projectiles during an accident (Haq & Whitelegg, 2014). Unbuckled passengers can very easily be ejected through the front, rear, or side windows, resulting in death. Passengers can also knock on each other, and the force is enough to cause death. It, therefore, becomes important for passengers to observe whether everyone is on a seat belt because in case of an accident, unbuckled individuals could cause harm to others who are law-abiding and concerned about their lives.
Conclusion
Conclusively, the benefits that accrue from having seat belts are sufficient to render the seat belt policy as highly effective. The severity of accidents is reduced, chances of people being projectiles minimized and a guarantee to insurance coverage is assured. The policy of safety belts or seat belts should be mandatory. Regardless of the distance being covered on a ride, the degree of uneasiness, and the assumptions that a good driver cannot cause an accident, are therefore doing more harm than good. Those opposed to the seatbelt policy should, therefore, be considered as misleading citizens and should be apprehended.
References
Cummins, J. S., Koval, K. J., Cantu, R. V., & Spratt, K. F. (2011). Do seat belts and air bags reduce mortality and injury severity after car accidents. Am J Orthop (Belle Mead NJ), 40(3), E26-E29.
Haq, G., & Whitelegg, J. (2014). The Insanity of Normality: Reconceptualising the Road Safety Debate. World Transport Policy and Practice, 20, 3.
