Air bags vs. Seat belts

 
If you had to choose only one safety measure which would use choose:  The Airbag or the Seat belt? 

If I had to guess most would choose an Air bag because of it's "simplicity."  You don't have to worry about "putting it on" each time you get into a car, you don't have to worry about your clothes getting wrinkled from it and a police officer can't see that you "aren't wearing it."



I cannot say I wear my seat belt 100% of the time (if you are a police officer please ignore I just said that.)  I wish I could say I did but more importantly I wish I did wear my seat belt 100% of the time.  I wish that my car would not turn on until my seat belt was in place....but that is not the case and I will find myself, if I do not have to drive very far, listening to that annoying "dinging" sound because "I'm only going down the road."  I told myself...I have an air bag so I'll be "okay" these few miles. 

Well, not so true.  I never realized that the air bag was to work IN CONJUNCTION with the seat belt.  I also never realized that without your seat belt on that the air bag could actually kill you.  According to safercar.gov air bags that have caused deaths were not height, weight, sex or age related....the one factor they had in common:  too close to the air bag.

I also learned that you need to be 10" from your breastbone to the position of the air bag.  So I am off to my car with a tape measure to see where I "fit" into this.  Experiment: 10" from the air bag and...my feet cannot reach the pedals enough to drive safely.  Now what?  I am not going to go buy a new car that has the adjustments for my pedals.  Back to the Internet to do more research.  What I learn from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

"Air bags are designed to work with seat belts, not replace them. 
In fact, if you don’t wear your seat belt, you could be thrown into a rapidly opening frontal air bag; a movement of such force could injure or even kill you."

The seat belt will keep you from being thrown into the airbag which allows us "height challenged" people to be safe if we cannot be the suggested 10" from the air bag.  It's not the best solution for us height challenged people but it will keep us safer when we are behind the wheel.  (If you are in the passenger seat you do not need to worry about it...get 10" from the dash).

So now my thoughts have changed...those few miles I am going that I tolerated that annoying "dinging" sound because my air bag would save me....have changed.  When I get behind the wheel now and I hear that dinging sound it will remind me of this information and I hope now it will remind you also.

All children should be in the back seat and if you do not have one the air bag should be shut off if possible.  Next time we will discuss children and air bags.

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Click it or Ticket. 

Nationwide safety program that has focused on wearing your seatbelt.  We are all guilty, or have been in the past, of just running down the road so you don't wear your seatbelt.  I have to be honest as much as I think about the importance of wearing my seatbelt it often takes that annoying "beep" to remind me to put it on.



The click it or ticket campaign gave out over THREE million tickets over the last five years.  That is a ticket every other second.  (NHTSA)

Seat Belts: Your Single Most Effective Safety Step (Taken directly from the National Safety Council):

"Seat belts are the single most effective traffic safety device for preventing death and injury, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Wearing a seat belt can reduce the risk of crash injuries by 50 percent. They save lives:

• Seat belts saved more than 75,000 lives from 2004 to 2008.
• Forty-two percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2007 were unbelted. A 2009 NHTSA study estimates more than 1,600 lives could be saved and 22,000 injuries prevented if seat belt use was 90 percent in every state.

The good news is, in 2009, seat belt use averaged 88 percent nationally, compared with 69 percent in 1998. NHTSA attributes this increase to the "Click It or Ticket" campaign, originally created by the National Safety Council as part of its Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign.

Nationwide, seat belt use is higher than ever. Yet seat belt use remains lowest among young drivers. NHTSA also reports that, in 2007:

• Seat belt use was lower among blacks than any other race.
• Seat belt use was higher among females than males.
• Seat belt use was lower among drivers who drove alone than drivers with passengers." 

If you want to know what the laws are about seatbelts or child restraints in your state click here.





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Been involved in a car accident?  Tell me your story.   

What won't get paid after a car accident...

Insurance Companies:  They are so friendly when you sign up.  They are so friendly when you pay your premiums.  They are so friendly.....until it's time for them to follow up with their promise.  Their promise to pay if you ever have a claim.  When this happens there is so much in the fine print....not covered because of......this gets filled in by the Insurance Companies:

Did you know....

1. that in some states your insurance will not pay UNLESS you were wearing your seat belt at the time of the accident?  
2. that in other states ONLY your medical bills will be paid unless you were wearing your seat belt at the time of the accident?

Information generously provided by Zeisler & Associates, Attorneys at Law, PC 

and should not be construed as legal advice.  This is information only.  Please check your state laws and your insurance company's policy in regards to this.

In both of these incidents....NO PAIN AND SUFFERING is allowed unless you were wearing your seat belt at the time of the accident.




Did you know that what you say after an accident is like being read your Miranda rights?

“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you? With these rights in mind, do you wish to speak to me?”

Even though car accidents are civil and Miranda rights are criminal...don't kid yourself:  Everything you say can and will be held against you!!

So what can you do?  Hire an Attorney!  Let me say that again, HIRE AN ATTORNEY!!  It is not your job to understand the laws of your state when it comes to car accidents!!  It is not your job to understand the tricks that are applied to get you to say something that will hurt your case. It is the job of an Attorney!! 

My suggestion is if you are ever involved in a car accident, if you are not in a medical emergency and are not transported to an emergency room your first call is to a reputable Attorney.  I suggest finding one that only handles Personal Injury cases...but that is my opinion.  


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