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Seat Belts - Who Needs Them?

By Truman Lewis
ConsumerAffairs.com

March 4, 2005
The U.S. Secretary of Transportation recently reported that nearly 329,000 lives have been saved by vehicle safety technologies since 1960. I believe him because my life is one of them.

I was in a head-on collision in late 2004. As I was being cut out of my car, one of the rescue crew told me, "You're lucky to be alive." I have no doubt that the construction of today's automobiles is why.

My 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier was totaled. People who have seen the car say they are surprised anyone came out of it alive. While the front of the car was smashed beyond recognition, the driver's compartment remained intact. I suffered a fractured ankle - the most serious of my injuries.

The car was equipped with an air bag, which deployed upon impact. That, along with the safety belt, kept me from going through the windshield and saved me from any injuries that might have been caused by impact with the steering column.

I remember looking at myself in the rear view mirror and noticing that there was only a bit of blood from my nose -- and no other facial injury. My glasses were mangled, but not broken.

According to a new study by the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, of all the safety features added since 1960, one - safety belts - accounts for over half of all lives saved.

The NHTSA study says government-mandated safety standards have added about $839 in costs to the average passenger car when compared to pre-1968 vehicles for items including braking improvements, safety belts, air bags, energy-absorbing steering columns, child safety seats, improved roof strength and side impact protection, shatter-resistant windshields and instrument panel upgrades.

In my view, that's money well spent.

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