Several people claim that wearing seatbelts while driving can make them suffocate in the event of a collision, while many others wonder if they help when the car flips over.
Many road users in the Sultanate of Oman do not see the value of buckling up while some underestimate the importance of seatbelts.
According to periodic surveys conducted by the Royal Oman Police, passengers who do not use seat belts are subjected to three shocks that harm the body’s internal organs, such as the chest or the skeleton.
The use of seatbelts dramatically minimizes the risk of injury and death.
The three shocks include a vehicle accident with another vehicle, a passenger colliding with other passengers or internal vehicle parts such as the steering wheel and banging the head against the window, and an impact on internal organs in the body such as the chest and skeleton.
According to statistics, the total number of accidents in 2022, including vehicle collisions, runovers, fixed impact objects, and downfalls, was 633, which resulted in 1,621 injuries and 434 deaths.
The overall number of accidents caused by negligence was 153. There were 179 injuries and 61 fatalities.
Wearing seatbelts when the car is in motion, even if driving within one’s wilayat, is one approach to increase safety because studies have shown that most car accidents and injuries occur within 40 kilometers of one’s home.
Nevertheless, more than half of all injuries caused by motor accidents occur at speeds less than 40 mph. In this regard, buckling up keeps one safe and secure within a car. However, failing to buckle up can result in being completely ejected from the vehicle in a crash, which is almost always fatal.
Those who claim that airbags can protect them should be aware that studies demonstrate that they are insufficient to protect passengers. In fact, an airbag’s force can gravely injure or even kill you if you are not strapped up.
Despite the fact that automobiles now have more safety features than ever before, such as tire pressure monitoring systems, backup cameras, and lane departure detection systems, none of these advances is as crucial to passenger safety as a seat belt.
Placing the strap below the arm or behind the back to muffle the sound of not wearing a seatbelt endangers the drivers’ and passengers’ lives.
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