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Seat Belt Safety For Adults

Top 4 Things You Should Know About Buckling Up

1. Buckling up is the single most effective thing you can do to protect yourself in a crash

Seat belts are the best defense against impaired, aggressive, and distracted drivers. Being buckled up during a crash helps keep you safe and secure inside your vehicle; being completely ejected from a vehicle is almost always deadly. 

2. Air bags are designed to work with seat belts, not replace them 

If you don’t wear your seat belt, you could be thrown into a rapidly opening frontal air bag. Such force could injure or even kill you. Learn about air bag safety.

3. Guidelines to buckle up safely

  • The lap belt and shoulder belt are secured across the pelvis and rib cage, which are better able to withstand crash forces than other parts of your body.
  • Place the shoulder belt across the middle of your chest and away from your neck.
  • The lap belt rests across your hips, not your stomach.
  • NEVER put the shoulder belt behind your back or under an arm.

4. Fit matters

  • Before you buy a new car, check to see that its seat belts are a good fit for you.
  • Ask your dealer about seat belt adjusters, which can help you get the best fit.
  • If you need a roomier belt, contact your vehicle manufacturer to obtain seat belt extenders.
  • If you drive an older or classic car with lap belts only, check with your vehicle manufacturer about how to retrofit your car with today’s safer lap/shoulder belts.

Our Safety Partners

  • Silver Injury Law Safety Partner

  • The Florida Transportation Builders' Association, Inc.

  • Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, a cabinet agency of the Florida government

  • FDOT, The Florida Department of Transportation, regulates public transportation in Florida.

  • Rubinstein Law Logo

  • Enterprise Holdings private foundation, giving back to communities.

  • National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; United States Department of Transportation

  • Health Care District of Palm Beach County

  • Bryan & Associates PA
    Bryan & Associates PA

    Bryan & Associates PA

  • TranSystems provides engineering and architectural planning, design and construction solutions.

  • Road construction company in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

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