How safety belts protect — Tennessee Permit Test

Safety belts virtually eliminate ejection, and being ejected greatly increases the chance of death or serious injury.

Thrown from the car, you hit the pavement or land in the path of another vehicle.

Safety belts virtually eliminate ejection.

Wear the lap belt low over the pelvis, with its bottom edge snug against the tops of the thighs.

A lap belt worn high on the stomach can crush the soft organs inside in a crash.

The lap belt should be worn low over the pelvis with the bottom edge touching the tops of the thighs snugly.

Wear the shoulder belt over the shoulder and across the chest, not under the arm.

A belt under your arm presses on your ribs and stomach instead of your strong chest bones.

The shoulder belt should be worn over the shoulder and across the chest, not under the arm and over the abdomen.

Pregnant women should wear the lap belt below the abdomen and the shoulder belt above the belly.

A lap belt across the belly presses on the baby in a crash. Low on the hips, the bones take the force.

Pregnant women should wear the lap belt below the abdomen and the shoulder belt above the belly.

Safety belts reduce the chance of injury from hard surfaces inside the car, like the steering wheel, dashboard and windshield.

Without a belt, your body keeps moving after the car stops and slams into the dash or glass.

Safety belts reduce the possibility of injury from “hostile” surfaces inside the car (steering wheel, dashboard, windshield, controls, etc.).

A belted driver is less likely to be stunned or knocked out by a crash and is better able to handle what follows.

Awake and in your seat, you can steer away from a second crash or get yourself out of the car.

The belted driver is less likely to be stunned or made unconscious by the crash and is better able to cope with the situation.

What do safety belts virtually eliminate in a crash?

Being ejected from the vehicle. Thrown from the car, you hit the pavement or land in the path of another vehicle. Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, p.31: “Safety belts virtually eliminate ejection.”