A 3-minute lesson from the Alaska course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Crash forces are far bigger than most people imagine. The handbook's safety belt facts explain why a belt, and the right car seat for a child, is your best protection, including against a drunk driver.
30 times
In a 30-mph head-on collision (about 20 G's), objects and passengers can be thrown forward with force equal to 30 times their own weight
In a burning or submerged vehicle your chance of survival is far greater with a belt on, because you're more likely to stay conscious and able to escape.
A lap belt alone won't keep your head and chest from striking the wheel, dashboard and windshield. A lap and shoulder belt give the best possible protection.
Motor vehicle crashes are a significant killer and crippler of children under five. A child in a car seat is also better behaved and less likely to distract the driver.
A parent says, "It's a short trip across town, I'll just hold the baby." Most crashes happen close to home and under 40 mph, and at 30 mph a 15-pound infant becomes 450 pounds. The baby belongs in a car seat.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
More than what percentage of all collisions occur at speeds less than 40 mph, according to the handbook?
50 percent
80 percent
95 percent
65 percent
Answer: 80 percent
The handbook states more than 80% of collisions occur below 40 mph.