What are the advantages and disadvantages of seat belt?

Answer 1

Advantages:

· Seat belt usage reduces the chance of traffic-related fatalities by 45 percent. In 2006 over 15,000 lives were saved by seat belt use.

· In most cases, wearing a seat belt prevents ejection from the vehicle. Statistics show 75 percent of drivers ejected during a car accident were killed. Only one percent of them were wearing a seat belt.

· Wearing a seat belt minimizes the body's contact with the interior of the car resulting in fewer injuries. Seat belt usage reduces the chance of being injured by up to 50 percent.

· Seat belts spread the force of impact over larger parts of the body reducing severity of injuries. Injuries sustained when not wearing a seat belt can be up to five times greater.

· Average medical costs for belted drivers are 60 percent less than for unbelted drivers.

Disadvantages:

· Seatbelt use tends to increase risk-taking in drivers. This could lead to an increase in more severe accidents, which, in turn, reduces or mitigates the effectiveness of seatbelts.

· They sometimes contribute to accident-related injuries, as is described by the term "seat belt syndrome."

· In many cases, the fibers of the seat belt can cause harm to the chest and abdominal areas.

· It may also cause more serious damage to the internal organs like tearing of the colon or diaphragm. In some cases the lumbar vertebrae may even be fractured or dislocated.