What Is the Importance of Seatbelts?

Isaac Newton is known to have created three important laws of motion. The First Law of Motion states that every object continues in a state of rest or of uniform speed in a straight line unless acted on by a nonzero net force. The Second Law of Motion states the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on the object, is in the direction of the net force and is inversely proportional to the mass of the object. Finally, the Third Law of Motion states that whenever on object exerts a force on a second object, the second object exerts an equal and opposite force on the first. Today, we will be relating the First Law of Motion to why seatbelts are important for cars to have.

When we get into a car, the first thing to do besides turn on the engine is to put on your seatbelts. Many people think it is okay that you don't wear seatbelts, but many people have died due to this fatal mistake. So, why is it important to wear seatbelts? This relates with Newton's First Law of Motion. Newton's First Law of Motion states, "An object in motion continues in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force". The law of inertia is common and mostly experienced when riding in cars or trucks. The large the vehicle, the less or greater injuries it will cause to the passenger(s).

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the common death to occur in America is due to people not wearing seatbelts. Approximately, 33,000 people die per year because of not wearing a seatbelt, and 2.2 million people are injured. In fact, 70% of the deaths were from either cars or trucks. It is important that we realize, that seatbelts are the life safety net for people driving an automobile. As an example, imagine you are driving in a Mercedes Benz that unfortunately crashes into a wall.

For the first scenario, imagine that a driver is wearing a seatbelt. As the car accelerates, the driver accelerates, and when the car decelerates, the driver decelerates as well. Lastly, as the car is in constant speed, the driver is at constant speed. For the second scenario, imagine if the driver doesn't have any seatbelt on. This is not the best choice when you are on the highway. However, in the worst-case scenario, imagine if the driver hits a wall or an obstacle impending the car's direction. Without the driver's seatbelt, the impact will cause the driver to fly out of the windshield. This is because the impact caused the driver, who had constant velocity with the car, to continue moving in the air.

When a person wears a seatbelt, the seatbelt is making the driver accelerate and decelerate with the car, but will protect them in case they had a sudden change to their velocity. That's why when you're driving you should always wear seatbelts, because safety will keep you safe from the forces explained in Newton's First Law.