DOT HS 809 451

Non-Police Version
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Buckling up right is a snap!
And it can keep you out of the hospital.

1. Adjust the lap belt to fit low and tight across your hips/ pelvis, not your stomach area.

2. Place the shoulder belt snug across your chest, away from your neck.

3. Never place the shoulder belt behind your back or under your arm.

CORRECT	INCORRECT

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If you wear a seat belt every time you
get into a vehicle, you’re more likely to:

Get to where you’re going on time.
        Wearing a seat belt isn’t just a good idea, it’s the law,
        and many States are conducting heightened enforcement of their seat belt laws.

Hold onto your hard-earned cash.
        Seat belt tickets can mean hefty fines and, in some places, points on your license.

Prevent disabling injuries and scarring.
        Every 15 seconds, someone is injured in a traffic crash. If you’re not buckled up,
        you could be thrown through a window, sent skidding along the pavement or be
        crushed under a vehicle in a crash.

Live.
       Someone is killed in a crash every 13 minutes. However, seat belts save over
       11,000 lives each year, and they can help you maintain control of your car in a crash.

So, buckle up on every trip. Every time.

• If you crash or slam on your brakes, your car comes to
  a sudden stop. But you will keep moving until you, too, are
  stopped—by the windshield, dashboard or pavement.

• Wearing a seat belt stops your body from being thrown
  around inside or outside the car. A seat belt decreases
  the chances you’ll get hurt by firmly keeping you in place.

* Air bags are designed to be used with seat belts. By themselves, they are only 12% effective at reducing deaths.

HOW DO YOU WANT TO STOP?

"We'd rather pull you over for a ticket
than pull you out of a crash."

Have air bags?
Buckle up anyway.

In most vehicles, air bags are only in the front and inflate only in frontal crashes. In rear or side crashes and rollovers, the seat belt can save you from serious injury or death.

Air bags inflate rapidly in a crash. If you’re not buckled up, you could be thrown too close to the air bag and seriously injured or even killed.

Air bags are more effective when you’re buckled up and seated at least 10" away, and when children under 12 are properly buckled up in the back seat.

Need more help? Contact us.
For more information about child safety seats, booster seats, fitting stations in your area, seat belts, air bags, and other highway safety issues, call the NHTSA Hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236) or visit our web site at www.nhtsa.gov.