Question

Safety belts (lap and shoulder), worn correctly, will ___________________________

1) prevent passengers from being thrown from the vehicle
2) reduce the risk of injury in a crash
3) minimize the impact of a collision
4) All of the above

Answer 1

Safety belts, worn correctly, prevent occupants from being ejected, reduce injury risk, and minimize collision impact, fulfilling all listed functions. Crumple zones and airbags increase impact time, which reduces the force and likelihood of injury to passengers.

Step-by-step explanation:

Safety belts, when worn correctly, will prevent passengers from being thrown from the vehicle, reduce the risk of injury in a crash, and minimize the impact of a collision; hence, the correct answer is All of the above.

The vehicle's design, including parts that can crumple or collapse in the event of an accident, helps protect the passengers. This is because it increases the time of impact, which in turn reduces the force experienced by the passengers as per the impulse-momentum theorem. The longer impact time results in a more gradual deceleration of the passengers, thus decreasing the force exerted on them and reducing injury to the passengers. Airbags and padded dashboards operate on the same principle, increasing the duration of the impact and thus reducing the force exerted on the car occupants.