Seat Belt Usage

• Teens have the lowest seatbelt usage of any group. Combine that with a penchant for speeding and distractions and you've got a deadly combination.
• When a teenager is driving with one teen passenger in the car, the risk of a fatal crash doubles; it triples when there are three or more teen passengers. Driving at night adds even more risk.
• A teen drives alone during daylight hours, which according to experts is the safest way for them to gain experience their first several months behind the wheel.

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WHY WEAR A SAFETY BELT?

• To understand the value of safety belts and child safety seat use, it's important to understand some of the dynamics of a traffic crash. Every motor vehicle crash is actually comprised of three collisions.
• The first collision is known as the car's collision, which causes the car to buckle and bend as it hits something and comes to an abrupt stop. This occurs in approximately one-tenth of a second. The crushing of the front end absorbs some of the force of the crash and cushions the rest of the car. As a result, the passenger compartment comes to a more gradual stop than the front of the car.
• The second collision occurs as the car's occupants hit some part of the vehicle. At the moment of impact, unbelted occupants are still traveling at the vehicle's original speed. Just after the vehicle comes to a complete stop, these unbelted occupants will slam into the steering wheel, the windshield, or some other part of the vehicle's interion. This is the human collision.
• Another form of human collision is the person-to-person impact. Many serious injuries are caused by unbelted occupants colliding with eachother. In a crash, occupants tend to move toward the point of impact, not away from it. People in the front seat are often struck by unbelted rear-seat passengers who have become high-speed projectiles.
• Even after the occupant's body comes to a complete stop, the internal organs are still moving forward. Suddenly, these organs hit other organs or the skeletal system. This third collision is the internal collision and often causes serious or fatal injuries.

SO, WHY SAFETY BELTS?

During a crash, properly fastened safety belts distribute the forces of rapid deceleration over larger and stronger parts of the person's body, such as the chest, hips and shoulders. The safety belt stretches slightly to slow your body down and to increase its stopping distance.

The difference between the belted person's stopping distance and the unbelted person's stopping distance is significant. It's often the difference between life and death.

What is the seat belt law in New York State?

New York State law requires all front seat passengers to wear seat belts. Children under the age of 16 must wear seat belts when they are in the front seat or the back seat. Children under the age of four must ride in safety seats. Children age four, five or six must ride in child restraint systems. The penalty for a seat belt or car seat violation is a fine of up $50. If a conviction includes a person under the age of 16, the driver receives a maximum fine of $100 and 3 points on the driver license record.

Proper Child Safety Seat Use

Stage 1:

Infants up to one year of age and under 20 pounds should ride in a rear-facing infant seat in the back seat of a vehicle.

Harness straps should be at, or below, shoulder level.

Stage 2:

Infants and children under 1 year of age and less than 30 – 35 pounds should ride in a rear-facing convertible seat. (Seat labels will tell you exact weight.)

It is recommended for optimal protection however, that children remain rear-facing past their first birthday as long as the weight guidelines of the seat are followed and the child’s head is at least one inch below the top of the seat back.

Harness straps should be at, or below, shoulder level.

Stage 3:

Children over one year of age should remain in forward facing convertible seats or combination seats until they reach 40 pounds (around the age of 4) or reach the height limit of their seat. Some Britax models allow harness use until the child reaches 60 pounds.

Harness straps should be at, or above, shoulder level.

Stage 4: New York State Law:

• All Children age 6 and under must be in a CSS or booster seat unless:
• Over 100 lbs
• Over 4’9” tall (57”)
• Over 40 lbs and forced to sit in a seating position that does not have a shoulder belt. (Center position in many back seats when the outboard seats are already occupied.)

Booster seats should NOT be used with a lap belt only. The child should be moved to a seating position that has a shoulder belt, where a booster seat can be used. If no shoulder belt positions are available, the child over 40 lbs should be buckled with the lap belt and no booster seat should be used.

No child should ever be rear facing in front of an airbag.

All children age 7 – 15 must wear a seat belt. (Ticket goes to the driver)

All occupants in front seat must wear a seat belt.

NHSTA recommends that all children age 12 and under ride in the back seat. This is NOT a law.