We’ve all been there, driving off without ensuring everyone has their seatbelt on, or getting distracted and not noticing the kids have unplugged themselves, or even not fitting a car seat correctly. These are just human errors and could happen to anyone, but the consequences of not having your kid’s belted up in the back correctly could be devastating for everyone.
Ensuring that your kids have belted up in the back is the single most important thing you can do for them for any car journey. With thousands of cars becoming involved in road traffic accidents each day, your children must be protected as much as possible, to give them the best chance of survival and to reduce the possibility of fatal injuries. Read this article to discover why car seats are safer than ever before.
Here we’re going to look at why your child should always belt up in the back.
Wear your seatbelt – It’s the law
It’s a legal requirement for everyone in the vehicle to be belted up and safely secured in the car. If you’re pulled over by a police officer – even for a completely unrelated matter – and your passengers aren’t wearing seatbelts, you could be facing a hefty fine.
They increase the chance of survival
Simply put, seatbelts save lives. If you’re involved in a car crash, the likelihood of your child surviving and walking away with minimal injuries is greatly increased, compared with a child who isn’t restrained. Seatbelts are always being tested in the most extreme circumstances and the technology is constantly evolving to ensure drivers, passengers, adults and children all have a better chance of surviving a car crash. If you survive a car crash, chances are you have your seatbelt to thank.
It keeps everyone inside
If you’re involved in a crash and your child isn’t belted up in the back, then they could become a projectile and either be thrown around the vehicle, sustaining horrific injuries, injuring others or being thrown out of the vehicle completely. If this is the case, then their injuries are more likely to be fatal. A seatbelt keeps everyone inside the vehicle.
They keep everyone in place
Much like the point above, when your child is restrained they won’t be thrown around the vehicle and they’ll be kept in the seats. This is absolutely vital when it comes to additional safety features such as airbags working correctly. When the airbag is deployed, it’s done so from a position where it’s meant to have the greatest effect, so if your child is in their seat and in the right place then they’re more likely to be protected.
They’ll be able to get out
Imagine being thrown around the vehicle and being knocked out? If the car was on fire or being submerged in water then you wouldn’t be able to get out. A seatbelt reduces the risk of being knocked out and gives children a lifeline to get out of the car as soon as possible if their lives are in immediate danger.