Staying Safe in Your Automobile

By now, even if you live in a state without seat belt laws, you know that buckling up can save your life. But buckling up is not the only way you can proactively act to keep you and your family safe in your automobile.

1. Properly arm your airbags: If your car has air bags, make sure they are properly armed. If they have activated, you’ll need to have them armed again.
2. Use your seat belt properly: There is a reason why seat belts stretch across our chests and not just our laps. These chest straps keep us from hitting the dashboard, the seat in front of us, or getting an extreme case of whiplash. Make sure to wear your seatbelt as it was intended so you can get a full range of protection. 
3. Practice proper and timely vehicle maintenance: Transmission problems can cause your car to seize up in the middle of the road; improperly filled tires can compromise your brake system—there’s no end to the potential accidents that car maintenance issues can cause. Bring your car to the mechanic regularly so he or she can check for these issues before they help cause an accident.
4. Practice airbag safety: Airbags have saved a lot of lives, but they can also be harmful in certain situations. Children under age twelve should never sit in a front seat with driver’s side airbags. If they must, they should be properly buckled up with the seat as far away from the dashboard as possible, since airbags can actually harm anyone who is 2-3 inches from the point of inflation. Because the driver’s airbag is in the steering wheel, he or she can be injured, too. Measure your normal seating position when you drive and make sure that you are situated at least 10 inches away from the center of the steering wheel.
5. Use rear facing car seats: Airbags are not the only in-car threat to a child’s safety. Children less than one year old or who weigh less than 20 lbs. should always be buckled into rear-facing child’s seats in the back seat of the car. Children under 4’9” should also use booster seats when riding in the car. This prevents seat belt injuries in case of an accident.
6. Adjust your mirrors: It’s easy to get into your car after another driver has used it and forget to adjust your mirrors. This can lead to blind spots that allow you to back into an obstacle or change lanes without seeing a nearby driver. Always be sure that your mirrors are properly adjusted and that you check your mirror’s blind spots before making any moves in traffic.

Observing these simple auto safety precautions will give you peace of mind and might one day even save a life.