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CD-ROM Today (UK) (Spanish) 15
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0207
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02078.txt
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1994-01-17
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$Unique_ID{BRK02078}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{The Importance of Wearing Seat Belts in the Age of the Air Bag}
$Subject{air bags air bag seat belts seat belt safety belts safety belt
automobile accidents car cars injury injuries seat-belt seat-belt air-bag
air-bags safety-belt safety-belts}
$Volume{}
$Log{}
Copyright (c) 1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
The Importance of Wearing Seat Belts in the Age of the Air Bag
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QUESTION: We have recently purchased a new car, with air bags on both the
driver's and front passenger side. My husband says that protection is all we
need to avoid injury. I still put on my seat belt and he laughs at me when I
do so. Can you find out if the air bag is enough? It is a question that
deals with peoples' well-being, so maybe you will find it important enough to
put into your column.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANSWER: It is an important question, and your husband's misconception about
seat belts must be corrected with the correct information. Air bags are great
and have probably saved more than 300 lives since they were first introduced 6
years ago. But they too can be the source of injury, IF you are not properly
buckled in. There have been several cases where passengers were injured by
pitching forward into the bag as the result of an accident. This could be
averted if seat belts are properly buckled in place. Still statistics show
that almost half of all Americans still don't buckle up when they enter their
cars. While air bags are great for frontal collisions, they do little to
prevent injury when the collision comes from the side or rear. So you are
right, and your husband is wrong. Continue to buckle up just as you have in
the past. Besides, in many states, it is the law. And that is no laughing
matter.
----------------
The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.