Seatbelts: A Driving Necessity

A Driving Necessity

Most everyone that has been in a car has leaned forward too far and their seatbelt locked up. At the time, this feature of the seatbelt seems like a pain, but in all reality, that seatbelt, locking up at the right time could save your life. Seatbelts were created to be the first responder in an automobile accident to help save you or a loved one’s life. For many people, the seatbelt is a pain and inconvenience, but to the lucky ones, it is a life saver. Through a combination of the history of the seatbelt, an explanation of the controversy of the seatbelt, and the great advantages of wearing one, this paper will convince any reader that the seatbelt is a very important safety feature.

A seatbelt is a restraining device that is installed in vehicles and is designed to minimize injuries during a crash. Most people believe that seatbelts will save lives during a crash; however, some others believe that they could be harmful. In most crashes, seatbelts stop people from slamming into things while in the car, or keep them from being ejected from the car. The United States is one of the only countries that has laws that state, if you do not wear your seatbelt you will get a ticket. I believe that seatbelts are a necessity every time someone enters a motorized vehicle.

The first seatbelt introduced to automobiles was the lap belt. It was a two point seatbelt and was invented in the 1930’s. This seatbelt was installed into automobiles under the assumption that it was necessary to avoid injury during accidents. In 1959 the Swedish car company Volvo improved upon the two-point lap belt by making a three-point lap and shoulder belt. This three-point seatbelt is the most common and is used in almost every automobile today...

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... is when a seatbelt makes a driver feel more safe therefore encouraging worse driving. Many people also feel that seatbelts infringe on their personal rights (Seatbelt, 2010). Although these points may be true, the risk when wearing a seatbelt is much lower than the risk of not wearing one. Seatbelts are the number one defense against motorized vehicle accidents, and they can save lives or prevent further damage to the victims of automotive accidents (Danielle E. Roeber, 2008).

Knowing necessary information about the history of the seatbelt, the controversy about the seatbelt, and the great advantages to wearing a seatbelt will make you think twice next time you get in a car and are about to put your seatbelt on. Our day-to-day seatbelt has come a long way and saved many lives. No one knows what is around the next corner, but it is always a good idea to be prepared.