Seat belts protect vehicle occupants by decreasing the time it takes them to come to a stop in a crash, spreads the impact force over a greater area of the body, minimises contact with the interior of the vehicle and helps stop them from being ejected from the vehicle.
- If you don’t wear a seatbelt you are 10 times more likely to be killed or be seriously injured in the event of an incident
- Speeds over 20 KPH, it’s not likely that even the strongest man can hold themselves back from the wheel or within the cabin for a roll over.
- Most accidents involving unrestrained motorists happen close to home • ? Airbags are designed to work as supplements to seat belts
Not wearing a seatbelt is particularly problematic in the regional areas. Despite having a lower proportion of the State’s population, rural areas report higher rates of occupants killed and seriously injured while not wearing a seatbelt than the metropolitan area. Penalty for driver not wearing a seat belt $365 plus 3 demerit points Penalty for driver for passenger not wearing a seat belt $365 plus 3 demerit points Penalty for driver for more than one passenger not wearing a seat belt $365 plus 5 demerit points *SA stats only. Fines may differ state to state Scenario A farmer, always opening and closing gates and gets frustrated with the beeping telling him his seat belt isn’t on! So, because he is only doing 40kph, he slips the buckle into the clasp and now sits on the seat belt. Literally overnight, a wombat hole is created and his left front wheel falls into it. The car stops immediately and his head hits the steering wheel at 40KPH. His body weight against the wheel (if he was 100 kg’s), will be 3.5 tonnes. This alone may kill him but it’s a modern car and after 19 KPH, the air bag is ready for action. Because the car believes the occupant is at risk, the air bag is detonated towards the driver at a speed greater than 200 KPH. If hitting the wheel doesn’t kill him, the air bag may.