Correct way to wear | Seatbelts & youth | Protecting your baby | Protecting your children | Buckle up – it's the law | How seatbelts work | School buses & seatbelts
Seatbelts are the single most important protective mechanism available to adult vehicle occupants according to the U.S.-based National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). They reduce the risk of occupants striking the interior of the vehicle, colliding with other passengers or being ejected during a roll over. Vehicle occupants are 25 times more likely to be killed when they are ejected from the vehicle.
When ICBC first began seatbelt education in 1981, the seatbelt wearing rate was only 42 per cent. According to the 2005-2006 Transport Canada Survey of Seatbelt Use in Canada, BC's seatbelt rate is now 91.7 percent. View the results of Transport Canada's 2005-2006 Seatbelt Survey at Transport Canada's web site.
It is estimated that the correct use of a lap/shoulder belt system reduces the likelihood of death in a motor vehicle crash by 50 per cent. To provide the best protection, wear the lap belt snug and low over the pelvic bones (hips). The shoulder belt must be worn over the shoulder and across the chest — never under the arm or behind the back.
Air bags are not a replacement for seatbelts. They are designed to be used in conjunction with seatbelts. To ensure full protection, drivers should always wear seatbelts.
Transport Canada estimates that a country-wide wearing rate of 95 per cent would save 1,300 lives and prevent 34,000 injuries over the next 10 years.
