Maybe ten-year-old Elizabeth put it best when she said to her father, "But, Dad, you can"t be healthy if you"re dead."
Dad, in a hurry to get home before dark so he could go for a run, had forgotten to wear his safety belt-a
mistake 75% of the US population make every day. The big question is why.
There have been many myths (谬论) about safety belts ever since their first appearance m cars some
forty years ago. The following are three of the most common.
Myth Number One: It"s best to be "thrown clear" of a serious accident.
Truth: Sorry, but any accident serious enough to "throw you clear" is also going to be serious enough
to give you a very bad landing. And chances are that you"ll have traveled through a wind-shield (挡风玻璃)
or door to do it. Studies show that chances of dying after a car accident are twenty-five times greater in
cases where people are "thrown clear".
Myth Number Two: Safety belts "trap" people in cars that are burning or sinking in water.
Truth: Sorry again but studies show that people knocked unconscious (昏迷) due to not wearing safety
belts have a greater chance of dying in these accidents. People wearing safety belts are usually protected to
the point of having a clear head to free themselves from such dangerous situations, not to be trapped in them.
Myth Number Three: Safety belts aren"t needed at speeds of less than 30 miles per hour.
Truth: When two cars traveling at 30 mph hit each other, an unbelted driver would meet the windshield
with a force equal to diving head first into the ground from a height of 10 meters.