Safe Driving Practices--california

California Driver Handbook

Safe Driving Practices - SEAT BELTS

Seat belts, both the lap belt and shoulder harness, must be in good working order. You may not operate your vehicle unless you and all your passengers 16 years of age or over, or who weigh 60 lbs. or more, are wearing seat belts. If seat belts are not worn, you may be given a traffic ticket. Also, the driver will be given the ticket if a passenger, younger than 16, is not wearing his/her seat belt.

Always use your seat belts (including the shoulder harness) if your vehicle is equipped with them and even if the vehicle is equipped with air bags. If you wear only a lap belt when driving, your chances of living through an accident are twice as good as someone who doesn’t wear a lap belt. If you wear a lap and shoulder belt, your chances are three to four times better.

Pregnant women should wear the lap belt as low as possible under the abdomen and the shoulder strap between the breasts and to the side of the abdomen’s bulge.

WARNING: Using seat belts reduces the chance of being thrown from your vehicle in case of an accident. If you don’t install and use a shoulder harness with the seat (lap) belt, serious or fatal injuries may happen in some crashes. Lap-only belts increase the chance of spinal column and abdominal injuries—especially in children. Shoulder harnesses may be available for your vehicle, if it is not already equipped with them.

Mistaken Beliefs About Seat Belts

Safety belts can reduce injuries and deaths. Many studies and actual crash tests have proven this. Have you heard these stories?

• "Seat belts can trap you inside a car." It actually takes less than a second to take off a seat belt. This scare tactic often describes a car that caught fire or sank in deep water. A seat belt may keep you from being "knocked out." Your chance to escape is better if you are conscious.
• "Seat belts are good on long trips, but I don’t need them if I’m driving around town." Half of all traffic deaths happen within 25 miles of home. Don’t take chances with your life or the lives of your passengers. Buckle up every time you drive.
• "Some people are thrown clear in a crash and walk away with hardly a scratch." Your chances of surviving an accident are five times as good if you stay inside the car. A seat belt can keep you from being thrown into the path of another car.
• "I’m only going to the store. My little brother or sister doesn’t need a child’s car seat, anyway. It’s too much hassle." Car accidents are the No. 1 preventable cause of death for children. Buckle them up in an approved safety seat. It’s worth it, and the law requires that you do.

The pictures illustrate what can happen in an accident. Your car stops, but you keep on going at the same speed you were traveling until you hit the dashboard or windshield. At 30 mph this is like hitting the ground from the top of a three-story building.

If you were struck from the side, the impact could push you back and forth across the seat. Belts and straps keep you in a better position to control the car.

CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEM AND SAFETY SEATS

Any child under the age of six weighing less than 60 pounds must be secured in a federally approved child passenger restraint system and ride in the back seat of a vehicle.

A child under the age of six weighing less than 60 pounds may ride in the front seat of a vehicle when:

• There is no rear seat or the rear seats are either side-facing jump seats or rear-facing seats.
• The child passenger restraint system cannot be installed properly in the rear seat.
• All rear seats are already occupied by children under the age of 12 years.
• A medical reason requires the child to ride in the front seat.

A child may not ride in the front seat of an airbag-equipped vehicle if the child:

• Is under one year of age.
• Weighs less than 20 pounds.
• Is riding in a rear-facing child passenger restraint system.

Children ages six and older but less than 16 and children under age six who weigh more than 60 pounds, must be properly secured in an appropriate child passenger restraint system or safety belt which meets federal safety standards.

RIDING SAFELY WITH AIR BAGS

Most people can take steps to eliminate or reduce risk without turning off air bags. The biggest risk is being too close to the air bag. An air bag needs about 10 inches of space to inflate. Ride at least 10 inches (measured from the center of the steering wheel to your breastbone) from the air bag cover if you can do this while maintaining full control of the vehicle. If you cannot safely sit 10 inches away from the air bag, contact your vehicle dealer or manufacturer for advice about additional ways of moving back from your air bag.

Passengers should also sit at least 10 inches away from the passenger-side air bag.

SIDE-IMPACT AIR BAGS

Side-impact air bags can provide extra safety benefits to adults in side-impact crashes. However, children who are seated next to a side air bag may be at risk of serious or fatal injury. Since there are differences in the design and performance of side air bags, you should consider the benefits and risks associated with the use of side air bags if you transport children. Studies have shown that children who are leaning against a side air bag when it inflates are at risk of serious injury. These studies also show that children who are traveling in an age and weight-appropriate, and correctly installed child restraint system, are not at risk of serious injury. These children are usually not in the path of a side air bag when it inflates.

UNATTENDED CHILDREN IN MOTOR VEHICLES

It is illegal to leave a child six years of age or younger unattended in a motor vehicle when:

• There are conditions that present a significant risk to the child’s health or safety. Example: Leaving a child in a closed car on a very hot day.
• The vehicle’s engine is running, the keys are in the ignition, or both. Children can start or move the car causing injuries and/or deaths to themselves or others.
  Exception: The child may be left under the supervision of a person 12 years of age or older.

The court may fine violators and require the person to attend a community education program.

Also, the penalties for leaving an unattended child in a vehicle are more severe if the child is injured, requires emergency medical services, or dies.