We
all know that the law requires that we wear our seat belts when
driving. The Motor Vehicle Act says in part “..wear the complete seat
belt assembly in a properly adjusted and securely fastened manner.” Why
should we worry, and how do we know what is proper?
During a collision where the occupant is wearing the seat belt properly
the hips may move ahead as much as six inches, the chest eight to nine
inches and the head twenty inches. You will strike anything within those
distances. Wearing a seat belt improperly
can actually contribute to injury especially in the case where the
shoulder belt is worn under the arm.
The proper use of seat belts can double the effectiveness of airbags in minimizing injury.
Your vehicle’s owners manual is the best place to learn about how to
wear your seat belt properly. It will explain how to fasten and adjust
the belt to maximize both comfort and protection. It will also contain
information on the correct use of child restraints.
Some examples of what NOT to do with a seat belt: wear the shoulder belt
under your arm, continue to use a frayed or broken belt, put more than
one child in a single seat belt, using a seat belt if it is twisted and
any “do it yourself” webbing repair.
Almost all passenger car and pickup truck drivers in BC wear seatbelts and I suspect that most of their passengers do too.
This may not be the case with other types of vehicles such as buses. An
article in the Victoria Times Colonist newspaper today reported on a bus
crash that occurred on the Bamfield Road on September 13, 2019 while
transporting University of Victoria students
to a research facility there.
Sgt. Brian Nightingale, an RCMP Collision Reconstruction expert was quoted:
“Had they been worn, the fatal injuries would likely not have
occurred,” said Nightingale, “and the injuries would have considerably
reduced.” Several people were hurt when they were tossed around inside
the bus as it slid off the road.
The bus company involved had chosen to retrofit their vehicle with
seatbelts because it had been manufactured without them according to
Transport Canada.
Some forms of public transit do not require seatbelts such as school
buses and city transit buses. Transport Canada does recognize that
seatbelts can provided added protection for students on school buses.
However, the implementation has been left up to the
province, school board or bus operator.
If they do choose to install seatbelts Transport Canada does regulate how they are to be installed.
Municipal transit buses allow passengers to stand and that is provided
for in exemptions set out in Div. 39.03 MVAR. There are limits to the
number of standing bus riders depending on the vehicle’s age and the
equipment provided by the manufacturer for them.
Story URL:
https://www.drivesmartbc.ca/safety-equipment/wear-your-seat-belt-properly
—
Constable Tim Schewe (Retired)
DriveSmartBC: Where better than average road users satisfy their curiosity.