Ever since you were little you would always hear your mom say "Buckle up!". It has become like second nature to me, as soon as I get into the car I put my seat belt on even if we are just going around the corner. But how does wearing a gray belt across your lap and chest help save you when a car is coming straight at you? Well, the purpose of a seat belt is that it will stop you when the car stops because unless acted upon by an unbalanced force an object in motion will stay in motion and just because the car stopped doesn't mean that you did. If you weren't wearing a seat belt and the car suddenly stops, due to inertia your body would continue to move forward. This could be potentially fatal. You could end up going through the windshield continuing onto the pavement. Wearing a seat belt reduces the impact force of the crash on you. By no means am I saying it won't hurt, because it will hurt, but it won't hurt as bad. In fact, according to the website on the physics behind seatbelts, if you are wearing a seat belt the impact force is about one fifth of the amount it would have been without a seat belt. So maybe your mom was right and you really should always wear your seat belt!
