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Seat Belt Essay

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With increased interstate speed limits, distracted drivers, and more vehicles on the roadway buckling up could be the most important seconds utilized each day. Far too many people are seriously injured or killed in vehicle crashes by choosing to not wear a seat belt. Wearing a seat belt has proven to reduce serious and fatal injuries in motor vehicle crashes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the leading cause of death in the U.S. among people between the ages of 1 – 54 is motor vehicle crashes (2017). History has proven a need for seat belt usage in the U.S. All but one U.S. state currently has a mandatory seat belt law in effect, however many drivers and passengers still choose to not wear one. This decision can have a tremendous effect on loved ones if killed or seriously injured in a crash. There is one sure way to increase the chances of seeing loved ones again. Wearing a seat belt reduces injuries and saves lives. …show more content…

The original seat belt was invented in the late 1800s by George Cayley to help keep pilots from falling out of gliders. On February 10, 1885, the first patented seat belt was designed by Edward J. Claghorn to protect passengers riding in taxis in New York City and eventually, became installed in manufactured cars for driver and passenger safety (Vehicular Safety Devices, 2017). In 1930, U.S. physicians began testing lap belts after a myriad of people died as a result of car crashes (Imre & Cotetiu, 2014). Over time the three-point seat belt system was developed by Nils Bohlin as a better way to restrain occupants (History of the Seat Belt, 2009). This system, found in most vehicles today, restrains the upper and lower part of the body (Irme & Cotetiu,

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