Seatbelts can mean the difference between life and death in an automobile accident
KARACHI: Car accidents are one of the leading causes of death for people under the age of 35. Wearing a seatbelt can prevent death in about half of these accidents. We have all heard the excuses before, ‘It’s uncomfortable’, ‘ I’m only going around the corner’, ‘I’d rather be thrown out of a car than be stuck in a seatbelt’, and, my favourite, ‘I’m a good driver, I don’t need to wear one’. Well, one may be a good driver but there are situations beyond control, such as bad weather, road conditions and, not to mention, other drivers who can compromise your safety. Seatbelts can mean the difference between life and death in an automobile accident. Wearing a seatbelt every time one enters a vehicle is not only the smart thing to do, it is also the right thing because it saves lives and is instituted as a law with good reason.
Numerous lives could be saved if people would choose to wear seatbelts. What happens during a traffic accident? During the moment of impact, the people inside the car continue travelling at the car’s original speed. The car then suddenly comes to a halt and the people wearing seatbelts stop with the car but people without seatbelts continue moving forward until they hit the steering wheel, the windshield, or get completely thrown out of the car. Numerous lives could be saved if people would make a conscious choice to wear seatbelts.
Sara Shamim
Published in The Express Tribune, August 10th, 2015.
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