Did you know that motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of work fatalities? Most off-the-job accidental deaths involve motor vehicles, too.
Buckling up often means the difference between death and minor injury in a traffic accident.
When an injury-producing traffic accident occurs, there are actually two collisions. The first is the collision between the vehicle and whatever it hits, such as another vehicle or a utility pole. The second collision, or second impact, occurs inside the vehicle, when the occupant strikes the interior of the vehicle or another object inside. Injuries occur during this second collision, which happens less than a second after the first collision.
Even if you can’t prevent the first collision, you can save yourself from injuries in the second. A belt and shoulder harness spread the force of the crash throughout your body, reducing or eliminating the impact.
Belts also keep you inside the vehicle. Doors often open in a collision, and the occupants can be thrown from the vehicle. The chances of dying are 25 times greater when the occupant is thrown from the vehicle.
Buckling up is the law, and is required by postal policy1. The conscious and personal choice to click the buckle is the one you make every time you get in your vehicle. It’s the right choice for your safety and the well-being of your loved ones. Buckle up for safety! Buckle up for your family!
— Safety and Environmental Performance Management, Employee Resource Management, 8-27-09
