Final answer:
Safety belts and shoulder belts provide additional protection and reduce the risk of injury during crashes by increasing the duration of impact forces, thus decreasing the force on the body.
Step-by-step explanation:
Using both safety belts and shoulder belts is important because they provide additional protection in the event of a crash and reduce the risk of injury. These restraint systems work together to keep the occupant in the seat, distribute the forces over a larger area of the body, and prevent the individual from being thrown inside or ejected from the vehicle during a collision. The concept of impulse in physics underlines the effectiveness of safety belts, as these belts increase the time over which the force of impact acts, thereby reducing the force of impact. Furthermore, it is also a legal requirement to use safety belts as they are proven to save lives.