SAFETY BELTS
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If you are a gambler prone to betting the long shots, then you
might feel OK about driving without a seat belt. If, however,
you would rather play the odds, then BUCKLE UP! That's your
best chance of surviving a crash, and it's the law. Alaska law required everybody in a
vehicle to be restrained by either a safety belt system, or child safety seat.
The driver is legally responsible for making sure all passengers under 16 are properly secured using a child safety or booster seat and/or seatbelt. |
Your seat belt can keep you from being thrown from your
vehicle during a collision; if you are thrown from your
vehicle, you are five times more likely to die, either from
injuries suffered on impact, or from being run over by another
car. Either way, you're dead. Don't tell yourself, or your
spouse, that you're only going around the corner: half of all
traffic deaths occur within 25 miles of home. |
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| The driver was killed when he was thrown
from his truck. Buckle up. Seat belts will save your life. |
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Your seat belt will protect you even if you aren't thrown from your car.
That strip of nylon, and possibly an airbag, are the only things between you and your windshield.
Session 3 describes the various ways to calculate the distance your car is traveling at different speeds.
This session is to remind you that YOUR BODY IS MOVING AT THE SAME SPEED AS YOUR VEHICLE!
That means that if you are driving at 60 mph, your body is moving through space at 60 mph also.
Your torso, arms, and head, at 60 mph, are covering ninety feet PER SECOND!
How many INCHES separate your forehead from the dashboard? your chest from the steering wheel?
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This young passenger is 5 times more likely to survive a crash, because she's wearing her seatbelt.
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Only your seatbelt can stop you. If you crash into a parked car, or a tree, or a wall, your car's
forward motion is stopped; but you, if you aren't buckled in, will continue forward at the speed your car was
traveling, until you, too, meet with an immovable object. What will that object be?
In Alaska, all children under four years old are required to use child
safety seats. Yes, safety seats are a hassle sometimes when you're in
a hurry, but SO WHAT?? You hold the life of that child in your
hand, and your hand is about to turn the ignition switch. Is it
really too much trouble to buckle up that little body? If you decide
that you don't have time to protect your vulnerable passenger, be
prepared to pay a fine of $50. Are you willing to
pay $50 and your child's life to save yourself some inconvenience?
MOTORCYCLE HELMETS
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If you are under 19, you are required to wear a helmet while operating a
motorcycle on Alaska roadways. All passengers, no matter their age, must wear a helmet. Your helmet must meet
state and federal safety standards, and you must wear it properly.
If you are carrying a passenger, you may not drive until they also are correctly wearing an approved helmet.
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| If you ride, keep your helmet on. It's common sense, it can save your life and it's the law. |
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