Though today seat belts are so ubiquitous that buckling up is almost reflexive, it wasn’t long ago that the only belts people wore were the ones holding up their pants. Ontario was the first province to legally require seat belts, passing the law on January 1st, 1979. Since then, every province has mandated seat belts while driving—and for good reason. As automobile accident lawyers know, seat belts are crucial in preventing injury and death in serious car accidents.
The Statistics
According to Transport Canada, correctly wearing a seat belt reduces the chance of serious injury in a car accident by 52 percent and death in a car accident by 47 percent. These numbers contribute to a significant reduction in damage to people and also to the economy, which feels the burden of hospitalization and medical treatment. Consider that, today, 95 percent of Canadian vehicle occupants wear seat belts. Statistically, this means that the rate of serious injuries and fatalities from car accidents have decreased by nearly half since before 1979.
How Seat Belts Work
At their most basic, seat belts work by connecting you to your car so that a sudden stop won’t send you hurtling through the windshield or slamming into the seat ahead. Seat belts spread the force of an abruptly by spreading the force across your waist, torso, and shoulders. Many modern safety systems also incorporate pretensioners, which remove slack from the belt at the time of impact, and load limiters, which reduce tension in the belt immediately after the accident to ease passengers forward.
All automobile accident lawyers will tell you that seat belts are a necessity. For that matter, pretty much anyone would tell you the same. But, if you find yourself in need of automobile accident lawyers after a collision, look to the best law firm in Ontario today.
Source:
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-driving-safety/safety-regulatory-devices/seatbelt4.htm
https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehiclesafety/tp-tp15145-1201.htm#s31