Seatbelts Save Lives

Essay by richbrown100A, January 2008

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� PAGE �10� Seatbelts � PAGE �1�

SEATBELTS

Table of Contents

Abstract 3

History 4

How They Work 4

Primary and Secondary Laws 5

Seatbelts Save Lives 6

Conclusion 8

References 9

Abstract

Seatbelts save lives. However, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), one America dies every hour because they fail to wear a seatbelt (bhsbees.com, 2001). Unfortunately, that equates to 8,760 Americans every year. If you don't wear a seatbelt I'm writing this paper to convince you to start. Specifically, I will detail the history of seatbelts, explain national laws that enforce seatbelt use, explain how seatbelts work, and finally, I will present statistical data that proves seatbelts save lives.

Seatbelts Save Lives

History

Seatbelts first appeared in American cars in the early 1900s. However, with few other cars to collide with, seatbelts weren't used for personal protection but for keeping occupants inside their cars during bumpy rides.

In 1950, the first factory-installed seatbelts appeared in the Nash Statesman and Ambassador models (Henkle, Gantz, & 2002).

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the automotive industry in the U.S. was largely unregulated and concern over safety was minimal. In fact, in 1965 over 50,000 people were estimated to have been killed in automobile crashes. That same year, the Senate passed a two-year, $320 million highway beautification bill that provided $5 million for a study of ways to dispose of scrapped cars, and only $500,000 for a study of highway safety (Henkle, Gantz, & 2002).

However, in 1966 the Highway Safety Act and the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act were passed and today they are still recognized as the most substantial legislation regarding automotive industry standards. The legislation authorized the federal government to set and regulate motor vehicle and highway standards, and also created the...