[Video] - Embrace Life - always wear your seat belt

[Super-Hornet]

Saw this on CNN news this morning. It is about video to encourage people to wear seatbelt.

[AirTrekker]

Another ad to encourage seatbelt usage

[MacDream]

Ok, since we are on the topic of seat belts.. I really need to put in my 2 cents worth.

I think most Singaporean drivers do put on their seat belts, that is because most cars nowadays comes with seat belt sensor that can be very irritating if you don't buckle up. My concern is mainly with parents and their young children. I am talking about small child in the front passenger seat, without booster seat. I have even witness adult passenger in the front seat holding a child in hands. Some people think that because their cars come fitted with front passenger airbags, their safety are ensure. That is a really really dangerous misconception.

Let me explain. air bags and seat belt together form the vehicle restrain system. It is designed to save lives in most instances. However, like everything else, it has limitations and trade offs. In a frontal collision, an accelerometer located in the front of the vehicle (usually below the front bumper) will detect the sudden change in g force and send a signal to the RCM (Restrain Control Module) which will calculate the g-force change and the vehicle current speed to determine if the air bags should be deployed or not. If the RCM determines that airbags should be deployed, it will then send a signal to detonate the charges inside the airbags. Yes, that is correct, detonate the charges. The detonation will change solid propellent into a gas and expend the airbag. Within 30 millisecond, the leading edge of the airbag will impact the passenger in velocity excess of 120MPH at an angle 17~20 degree upwards from dashboard. The reason for that angle is that the airbag is aimed at an average size adult's face and shoulder. Now, if a small child in sitting there, the force of the airbag will be directed above the child's head. With the lap belt (that's the horizontal portion of the seatbelt, across the lap) holding the child downwards, the airbag could potentially snap the neck of a small child. This has in fact been recorded many times in the US.

To compound matter, even if you drive carefully and slowly, RCM and accelerometers are electronics... they can make mistakes. NTHSB has a database of all accidents investigation in the US. One of the items that occurred from time to time is "inadvertent deployment", meaning airbags deployed when it is not supposed to, the root causes are usually error in algorithms or components solderability issues.

Adding these together, it is not easy to see why it is a bad idea to put a child in the front seat, thinking he or she is safe because he or she is wearing a seatbelt.

Modern cars, the higher ends ones at least, has multi-stage deployment airbags, which fire the ignition charges in stages, depending on the weight of the drivers and passengers. This system reduce the chance of fatal injury but does not completely remove the possibility..

[MacDream]

hmm... think I was too long winded.. Sorry.

Wasted too much time on the post... need to go BR!!

[etman]

Seat belt really works. I would be dead 1 year ago if not for wearing my seat belt. Instead all I got was whiplash and some chest pain.

[etman]

Ok, since we are on the topic of seat belts.. I really need to put in my 2 cents worth.

I think most Singaporean drivers do put on their seat belts, that is because most cars nowadays comes with seat belt sensor that can be very irritating if you don't buckle up. My concern is mainly with parents and their young children. I am talking about small child in the front passenger seat, without booster seat. I have even witness adult passenger in the front seat holding a child in hands. Some people think that because their cars come fitted with front passenger airbags, their safety are ensure. That is a really really dangerous misconception.

Let me explain. air bags and seat belt together form the vehicle restrain system. It is designed to save lives in most instances. However, like everything else, it has limitations and trade offs. In a frontal collision, an accelerometer located in the front of the vehicle (usually below the front bumper) will detect the sudden change in g force and send a signal to the RCM (Restrain Control Module) which will calculate the g-force change and the vehicle current speed to determine if the air bags should be deployed or not. If the RCM determines that airbags should be deployed, it will then send a signal to detonate the charges inside the airbags. Yes, that is correct, detonate the charges. The detonation will change solid propellent into a gas and expend the airbag. Within 30 millisecond, the leading edge of the airbag will impact the passenger in velocity excess of 120MPH at an angle 17~20 degree upwards from dashboard. The reason for that angle is that the airbag is aimed at an average size adult's face and shoulder. Now, if a small child in sitting there, the force of the airbag will be directed above the child's head. With the lap belt (that's the horizontal portion of the seatbelt, across the lap) holding the child downwards, the airbag could potentially snap the neck of a small child. This has in fact been recorded many times in the US.

To compound matter, even if you drive carefully and slowly, RCM and accelerometers are electronics... they can make mistakes. NTHSB has a database of all accidents investigation in the US. One of the items that occurred from time to time is "inadvertent deployment", meaning airbags deployed when it is not supposed to, the root causes are usually error in algorithms or components solderability issues.

Adding these together, it is not easy to see why it is a bad idea to put a child in the front seat, thinking he or she is safe because he or she is wearing a seatbelt.

Modern cars, the higher ends ones at least, has multi-stage deployment airbags, which fire the ignition charges in stages, depending on the weight of the drivers and passengers. This system reduce the chance of fatal injury but does not completely remove the possibility..

Well said.