How's Your Car Safety Knowledge?
Most of us think of ourselves as safe and responsible drivers. But car accidents are
the leading cause of death for people ages 5 to 32. They are the leading cause of
injury for people of all ages. You can't be responsible for other drivers, but it
is wise to brush up on your own auto safety skills. To test your knowledge, try your
hand at this true/false quiz.
1. In a severe accident, you have a better chance of surviving if you are not wearing
a seat belt and are thrown from the car.
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Studies show that many crash victims who did not wear a seat belt and were killed
after being thrown out of the car would have lived—often with only minor injuries—if
they had been restrained within the car.
2. Driving when you are sleepy can be as dangerous as driving when you are drunk.
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that more than 90,000
car crashes involve sleepy drivers. If you are tired, don't drive. If you become drowsy
while driving, pull over to a safe place and take a short nap, or get out of the car
and stretch your legs at a rest area. Drinking coffee can help, but only for about
30 minutes. Turning up your radio and rolling down the windows are not effective wake-up
methods.
3. If someone is following your car too closely, you should gently tap your brakes
as a warning.
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Tapping your brakes could cause a collision. Instead, change lanes or pull over to
the side of the road and let the other driver pass you.
4. If your car has an air bag, you don't need to wear a seat belt.
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An air bag is a supplemental restraint only. For it to work properly, you must wear
your seat belt. Many air bags inflate in head-on crashes, and some vehicles now have
air bags for side impacts. Seat belts, on the other hand, can protect you in every
type of collision.
5. Never buckle a child safety seat into the front seat of a car that has an air bag.
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In a crash, an air bag inflates almost instantly at high speeds. It can slam into
the back of a rear-facing infant seat where the baby's head rests. Or it can hit the
upper body of an older child in a forward-facing safety seat. The safest place for
a child under age 13 is in the back seat.
6. If an adult is not wearing a seat belt and is sitting too close to the dashboard,
they could be in danger if the air bag inflates.
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Unbuckled passengers of all ages can be injured or killed by an inflating air bag.
Adults and teens riding in the front seat should buckle up and sit at least 10 inches
away from the dashboard. Kids 12 years and younger should ride buckled up in the backseat.
7. If you take your eyes off the road for 5 seconds to read a text while driving 55
mph, your car will travel about the length of 2 football fields.
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Your car will travel the length of about one football field. Wait to read texts until
you have pulled off the road and are parked.
8. The instruction book for a child safety seat tells you all you need to know about
installing the seat safely in your vehicle.
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To install the seat safely in your car, read both the safety seat manual and your
car's owner's manual. Depending on your vehicle, you may need an extra belt, metal
locking clip, or other device for a snug fit. Register your child's car seat with
the seat maker so you can be alerted if it is recalled for safety reasons. To make
sure you’ve installed your car seat correctly, contact a certified child passenger
safety (CPS) technician. For information, visit
seatcheck or
safekids. Your local hospital, police, or fire department may also have CPS technicians.
9. Once a child reaches 4 feet in height, they can ride safely in a car with a regular
seat belt.
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Children who have reached 4 feet 9 inches in height are safest when riding in a booster
seat and secured by a lap and shoulder belt. The booster seat raises the child up
so the belt fits across the body correctly and snugly. This gives the best protection.
10. If your car doesn't have an air bag, your children can ride safely in the front
seat.
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Air bag or not, the backseat is still the safest place for children of any age to
ride. Vehicles with no back seat or a back seat that is not made for passengers are
not the best choice for traveling with children. But the air bag can be turned off
in some vehicles if you must have your child ride in the front seat. See your vehicle
owner's manual for more information.
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