Trader Magazine 5th issue: Seatbelts: Stay Safe and Secure for everyone's sake

This year's Road Safety theme is "Road Accidents are avoidable, Take Care.” Last issue we covered the Road Safety Week event that took place at Mnazi Moja grounds. Trader Magazine is dedicated to bringing you safety news & tips every issue.

BUCKLE UP for safety!

Living in Tanzania you are sure to know of someone who has been seriously injured or even killed in a motor vehicle accident. Many times their death could have been prevented through the correct use of a seat belt. Next time you get in your car, don't take your life lightly, buckle up for safety - it could save your life.

KEEP TANZANIA SAFE FOR DRIVERS, passengers & pedestrians

A properly worn seat belt greatly increases your chances of surviving a motor vehicle collision.

A typical seat belt assembly consists of a lap and shoulder belt. The shoulder belt should be worn closely against the body and over the shoulder and across the chest, never under the arm. The lap belt should be firm against the body and low across the hips.

Air bags (if available) do not take the place of a seat belt. When air bags activate during a motor vehicle collision, they reduce the forward movement of the upper torso and minimize impact. They do not prevent drivers and passengers from being thrown from the car.

Seat belts do several things for you: they provide impact protection, absorb crash forces, and keep you from being thrown out of the vehicle.

Proper use of SEAT BELTS

When a seat belt is worn correctly, it will apply most of the collision or stopping forces across the chest and pelvis, which are better able to withstand collision forces.  A seat belt should not be worn twisted, as the full width of the belt is required to spread motor vehicle collision forces across the body.  There should only be one person to a seat belt.
Wearing a seat belt loosely or placing the shoulder belt under the arm or behind your back instead of across the chest could (in the case of a collision or sudden stop) result in an injury-producing impact with the vehicle interior or ejection from the vehicle.

Wearing a lap belt across the stomach instead of low across the hips allows collision forces to be applied to the soft tissue of the body; increasing the chance of injury. Pregnant women must wear seat belts - wearing the lap and shoulder belt and sitting as upright as possible. The lap belt should be worn low so it pulls downward on the pelvic bones and not directly against the abdomen.

Children and Seat Belts

The driver should take responsibility for ensuring that all children under 16 years of age are properly secured in a motor vehicle with a seat belt and/or car seat. Babies, toddlers, pre-schoolers and primary-school aged children must travel in the appropriate child car seats or booster seats. Children under 13 years of age are safest in the back seat of a motor vehicle, away from any potential point of impact.

To effectively use a seat belt, a child must be able to sit with legs bent comfortably over the vehicle seat and with his or her back fully against the back of the vehicle seat. The lap belt must cross over the hips (not the stomach) and the shoulder belt must cross between the shoulder and the neck.

Did You Know??
The second leading cause of death worldwide is due to Road Traffic injuries.