SEATBELTS: A NESCESSITY WHILE DRIVING

Seat belts are one of the bedrocks of car safety which have become a major legal requirement in most parts  of the word. This explains why we now live in a world of inertia-reel seat belts, seat-belt pre-tension mechanisms, as well as in-car technology that offers a little prompt every time one attempts to drive off without wearing a seat belt.

A seatbelt is designed to lock in place when a sudden force is exerted against it. This implies that a seatbelt restrains a person thereby preventing him or her from moving with the inertia of the car when the car is brought to a sudden stop or is forced to change direction.

Seatbelts generally save lives when they are put in use.Many people are likely to be killed during road traffic accidents when they fail to wear their seat beats. Meanwhile those who wear their seatbelts in cars, vans and other vehicles are less likely to be killed during accidents.

It is thus of utmost importance  for every driver to ensure that they have done the safety basics before they release the handbrake of their cars. Back-seat passengers should not ignore the rules either. If a seat belt is fitted, then they MUST wear it. Todlers and young children must also be fastened to their car seats which often consist of seatbelts. This is in order to protect them from the outrageous effects of fatal accidents.

Many countries especially in the Western world have implemented penalties on victims who ride in cars without wearing their seatbeats. These penalties  usually extend to adults, parents and care takers who transport kids, underaged adults and disabled people without fastening their seatbelts.

However  such laws are yet to be implemented in Africa, Cameroon inclusive. Although young people are more adventurous and sometimes more careless, it is important for them to always remember to put on their seatbelts before embarking on any journey irrespective of the length and duration of the journey. This will keep them as well as their loved ones safe, secured and alive.

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