In the United States, motor vehicle accidents are one of the
leading causes of death, especially among children and young
adults. The simple act of buckling your seat belt every time you
get in a vehicle can save your life! If you have not made
seatbelts part of your traveling routine, learn why you should
change your behavior. What Happens to Your Body in a Collision?
In a motor vehicle collision, medical experts have identified
three impacts: - The vehicle strikes another object, such as a
tree. - The "human impact" occurs. Unbelted occupants slam into
hard, unforgiving parts of the vehicle's interior—the steering
wheel, the windshield, the roof—or into other occupants. - The
final impact takes place within your body as the internal organs
smash against other body parts—the heart hitting the sternum,
the brain hitting the skull, the lungs hitting the ribs.
Unbelted occupants can also be ejected from the vehicle, which
is one of the most injurious events that can happen during a
crash. Here is what seat belt