Why Are Airbags And Seat Belts So Important?

There are thousands of automobile accidents each year, all around the world, and a tragic percent of them are fatal. As you drive down the road at 60 mph, you automatically move at the same speed as your car. But what happens when you strike something and your car stops moving suddenly?

Any moving object has a momentum - the product of its mass and its velocity. During a collision, momentum is conserved, thus the total momentum of the objects is the same before or after the collision. The inertia of the car would tend to keep it moving, but the velocity of the car changes drastically when you hit something. 

Also, passengers, as well as all objects in the car, have their own inertia and momentum. Unless something interferes with the motion, they continue to move at the same speed the car was traveling. Left on heir own, however, they travel at full speed until the force of collision with an object (the windshield, for example) reduces their velocity. The outcome might have tragic consequences. 

Needless to mention, wearing your seat belt is mandatory and essential. The force of the impact will be reduced if the force is spread over a larger area, or over a longer amount of time. Seat belts work on this principle, they spread the force over a larger area of your body, also transferring the force to the torso (the torso can handle an impact much better than the head).

However, airbags provide better protection. Besides spreading the force of the collision over a much larger area, airbags also increase the time over which the force is applied. Although the airbag deflates in a fraction of a second after it fills, that time is considerably longer than the contact time of a person against a dashboard, steering wheel or windshield. Automatically, a longer time means that the force will not be as great.

So regardless of the type of car you're driving, if you're going at a great speed or just slowly driving, you're alone in the car or your whole family is with you, always wear your seat belt, and choose a safe car, with working air bags. If you're considering a second hand car, test the air bags before you buy it, and make sure they work. Buy a safe car, not a death trap. Automobile accidents ruin the lives of millions of people all over the world, every day. Drive carefully. You might want to check : http://thebestculinaryschools.org/. This is a great website.