Whether you\u2019re a veteran or new driver, you\u2019ve probably heard the phrase \u201cclick it or ticket\u201d a few times in your life. That phrase was created to convey the importance of wearing your seat belt so you\u2019re in accordance with the law. While most people wear their seat belts today without a second thought, the history of seat belts comes with its fair share of controversy. Learn how seat belts became a staple in all vehicles with this seat belt timeline, and how seat belts can save you from more than just a ticket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Seat belts were originally invented for glider planes, not cars, by a British engineer in the late 1800s named George Cayley. The first car seat belt was patented in 1885 by Edward J. Claghorn, an American living in New York who noticed the need for safety features in taxis. Throughout the rest of the 19th century, seat belts slowly increased in popularity among a small portion of drivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It wasn\u2019t until the late 1950s that car manufacturers started adding seat belts to most of their passenger cars. In 1968, all cars made in the U.S. needed seat belts in their front seats. Three-point integration seat belts, the most current form of seat belt, became the standard in 1973. These seat belts lock up during times of rapid deceleration to manage the forces around your body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While modern Americans are used to mandatory seat belt laws, the original seat belt mandates caused some controversy amongst Americans. When seat belts laws were first introduced, some Americans saw them as an attack on personal freedom. However, our attitudes toward seat belts have shifted tremendously, as evidenced by today\u2019s rate of seat belt use compared to a few decades ago. In the early 1980s, it\u2019s estimated that only 14% of drivers used their seat belts, while 80-90% of drivers buckle up today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The importance of using your seat belt when it comes to personal safety cannot be understated. Seat belts are one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce crash-related injuries and deaths. If you\u2019re riding or driving in the front seat of a vehicle, using a seat belt reduces your risk of death by 45% in a car and 60% in a SUV, truck, or van. In addition, roughly 50% of victims who die in car accidents aren\u2019t wearing a seat belt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Seat belts primarily prevent ejection from your vehicle and collision with your vehicle\u2019s dashboard or window. If your vehicle collides with an object or car, your seat belt holds you in place so you don\u2019t continue moving at the same pre-collision speed and get thrown from your seat. By keeping you secured in your seat, your car absorbs most of the energy from the crash while you slow down with your vehicle. Seat belts are also designed to spread the shock of the crash across the strongest parts of your body, such as your chest and hips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Apart from New Hampshire, every state has primary or secondary seat belt laws. If your state has primary seat belt laws, law enforcement officers are allowed to pull you over and ticket you solely for forgetting to wear your seat belt. Obeying these laws can help prevent tickets and strikes on your driving record while protecting you and your vehicle. In addition to buckling up, it\u2019s equally important to stay covered with a quality insurance policy. Get a car insurance quote from The General in under two minutes or read more on our insurance blog.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Take a deep dive into the history of seat belts with this guide from The General. Learn the origin of the seat belt and how it keeps you and your passengers safe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":3766,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3765","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-car-and-driving-basics"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n