It is crystal clear that that Whiplash has become a very common issue affecting millions of people annually. To be precise, there are more than six million annual car accidents in the U.S alone. The loss of lives associated with car accidents occurs after every twelve minutes annually, while collisions due to a motor vehicle, MVCs, lead to the death of nearly forty thousand individuals. As a matter of fact, the motor vehicle collisions is the leading death for people aged between two to thirty-four years old. Perhaps another surprising statistic is that someone is injured in a car accident every fourteen seconds and close to two million people sustain permanent injuries in car crashes on a yearly basis. Over a period of five years, over twenty percent of all car drivers were caught in a motor vehicle collision. The average cost of car accidents is $1000 for each American yearly, which amounts to nearly $164.2 billion of the total expenses in the U.S each year.
Approximately, two hundred and fifty thousand children get injured due to car crashes, implying that an approximate seven hundred children get injured daily. Additionally, car accidents are the principal cause of acquired disability. As intended, these sobering statistics have captured your attention. In the previous month, we talked about numerous ways of reducing the probability of even being involved in an MVC. As the ideal follow-up, this particular article will focus on seatbelts and their role in preventing injury plus its life rescuing capabilities.
The truth of the matter is that seatbelts save lives. Regarding passengers at the back seat, the prospect of wearing a seatbelt is forty-four percent more efficient at death prevention than when riding unprotected. For those sitting in the rear of the van or any utility sports vehicle, the user of the rear seatbelts is seventy-three percent better, as far as the prevention of a fatal car crash outcome is concerned. In more than one and a half of the total fatal car crashes, the victims are not adequately protected. The National Traffic Highway Administration for Safety, N.H.T.S.A, stated that there was a one percent increment in the usage of seatbelts in 2008 compared to the previous year, with eighty-three percent of car drivers putting on their seatbelts. Also, seatbelt use tremendously increased to ninety percent on highways vs. states found on surface streets. In the states where rear seatbelts are needed, eighty-five percent of adult passengers at the back seat complied compared to states not prioritizing the use of a rear seatbelt, and where only sixty-six percent of the passengers followed the rules. There has been a campaign launched by the N.H.T.S.A, Ticket or Click it, and it has offered a guide to seatbelt safety, with the aim of promoting the correct use of seatbelts. It has provided the following safety tips for seatbelts.
Always ensure that the seatbelt of yours fits snugly. Note that belts that are worn too loosely can result to broken ribs or can cause injuries to the abdomen.
Place the lap belt below your stomach and flat on your hipbones. Don’t place the lap belt across your stomach.
Put the shoulder belt across the center of your chest and between the breasts.
Don’t slip the upper side of the belt off your shoulder. Note that seatbelt were worn too high up can result in broken ribs or even injuries to your stomach.
The most efficient protection safety which is available nowadays for occupants of passenger vehicles is the shoulder/lap seat belts complemented with air bags.
There is a misleading perception that seatbelts results to injuries mainly at low speeds, and therefore it is advisable not to wear seatbelts when one is traveling in town. However, there is convincing evidence in almost all instances, that seatbelts save individual lives, even at collisions of low speed. Bearing in mind that the forces that are due to low-speed car crashes are transmitted to the contents due to the less damage to the vehicle and lack of crushing metal, those inside the car that is struck at a lower speed are likely to be thrown around significantly. This makes them hit the side window, windshield, and other items inside the car resulting in injuries or even death. It is quite evident that you have a broad range of choices, regarding where you choose for your services in healthcare. If however you, a friend or even a member of your family need care for whiplash, Chiropractic should be your ultimate first choice and would be highly honored to provide our high-quality services to you.
The Safety of the Seat Belts
