[MOM AND KIDS TALKING]
Man: LET ME STRAIGHTEN THAT OUT...OKAY.
Child: LET ME GO!
Woman: HERE WE GO!
Girl: J.T...
HELLO...ANYBODY HOME?
Man: I DON'T REMEMBER NONE OF THIS,
NONE OF THIS FROM LAST YEAR.
Woman: JASMINE, WOULD YOU LEAVE J.T. ALONE, PLEASE?
Man: CAN YOU HELP ME OUT HERE, STEPHANIE? I'M A LITTLE LOST.
Woman: I THOUGHT YOU KNEW WHERE YOU WERE GOING.
Man: DO YOU HAVE THE DIRECTIONS?
Woman: EAT SOME FRUIT LOOPS, J.T.
Man: WHAT TIME WERE WE SUPPOSED TO BE THERE? WE'RE LATE.
Girl: J.T...
Man: DO YOU WANT TO STOP AND CALL SOMEONE?
I CAN MAKE A RIGHT AT THIS INTERSECTION...
[TIRES SCREECH]
[CRASH!]
Woman: YOU WANT TO UP THOSE MAYBE TO 500?
Zuby: YEAH, THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE A GOOD IDEA.
IF YOU HIT SOMETHING HARD INSIDE THE OCCUPANT COMPARTMENT,
WE MAY SEE...
Zuby: ONE WAY WE LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IN CRASHES
IS BY RUNNING VEHICLE CRASH TESTS.
RIGHT NOW, WE'RE IN THE FINAL STAGES
OF GETTING THIS CAR READY FOR A TEST.
IT'S GOING TO HIT A BARRIER AT 30 MILES PER HOUR
AND THE IMPACT IS GOING TO HAPPEN VERY QUICKLY.
THEN WE'LL GO BACK AND LOOK AT SLOW-MOTION FILM
THAT LET'S US SEE EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED IN THE CRASH.
THIS CAR IS GOING 30 MILES PER HOUR.
AND EVERYTHING INSIDE IT IS MOVING AT THE SAME SPEED.
WHEN THE CAR FIRST CONTACTS THE BARRIER,
THE OCCUPANT COMPARTMENT DOESN'T STOP IMMEDIATELY
BECAUSE THE FRONT END OF THE CAR
IS CRUSHING AND ABSORBING ENERGY.
THIS HAPPENS IN A FRACTION OF A SECOND...
BUT PEOPLE CAN STILL BE PROTECTED IF THEY'RE RESTRAINED.
IF THEY'RE NOT, THEY CONTINUE MOVING AT 30 MILES PER HOUR
UNTIL THEY SLAM INTO SOMETHING
LIKE THE STEERING WHEEL, DASHBOARD, OR WINDSHIELD.
PEOPLE GET INJURED IN CRASHES
BECAUSE THEY COME TO A STOP TOO FAST.
WHEN THERE'S PLENTY OF TIME TO SLOW DOWN, LIKE DURING BRAKING,
THEY DON'T GET INJURED.
BUT WHEN THEY SLAM INTO SOMETHING HARD,
THEY STOP VERY FAST AND INJURIES CAN OCCUR.
SAFETY BELTS AND AIRBAGS TOGETHER
OFFER THE BEST PROTECTION IN FRONTAL CRASHES.
THEY ALLOW PEOPLE TO SLOW DOWN WITH THE OCCUPANT COMPARTMENT.
AIRBAGS ALSO SPREAD THE CRASH FORCES OVER THE UPPER BODY
AND REDUCE THE RISK OF SERIOUS HEAD AND CHEST INJURY.
SAFETY BELTS PROTECT PEOPLE IN NON-FRONTAL CRASHES, TOO,
PLUS THEY PREVENT EJECTION.
AND IF THERE ARE VIOLENT MANEUVERS BEFORE A CRASH,
BELTS KEEP PEOPLE IN THEIR SEATS
WHERE THEY NEED TO BE FOR AIRBAG PROTECTION.
TO GET THE MAXIMUM BENEFITS, YOU NEED TO DO MORE
THAN JUST BUCKLE UP.
IT ALSO MATTERS HOW YOU BUCKLE UP AND WHERE YOU SIT.
FIRST, THE LAP PART OF THE BELT
SHOULD FIT AS LOW AS POSSIBLE OVER YOUR HIPS.
DON'T LET IT RIDE UP OVER YOUR STOMACH.
IF IT DOES RIDE UP OVER YOUR STOMACH--WHICH CAN HAPPEN,
ESPECIALLY WITH BENCH SEATS-- THE BELT ITSELF
COULD INJURE YOU DURING A CRASH.
THE SHOULDER BELT SHOULD FIT COMFORTABLY.
IF IT RUBS AGAINST YOUR NECK,
CHECK TO SEE IF IT CAN BE ADJUSTED.
YOU MIGHT ALSO TRY ADJUSTING THE SEAT FOR A MORE COMFORTABLE FIT.
IF THIS DOESN'T WORK, STILL USE YOUR SHOULDER BELT.
DON'T EVER PUT IT BEHIND YOU OR UNDER YOUR ARM,
AND DON'T LET ANYBODY ELSE--
INCLUDING CHILDREN--DO THIS...
A DRIVER SHOULD POSITION THE SEAT
AS FAR AWAY FROM THE STEERING WHEEL AS IS COMFORTABLE FOR DRIVING.
THE MORE DISTANCE, THE LESS CHANCE THAT YOUR FACE
WILL HIT THE STEERING WHEEL IN A CRASH.
AND KEEP IN MIND, THIS CAN HAPPEN IN A SEVERE CRASH
EVEN IF YOU'RE USING A SAFETY BELT.
[BANG!]
AN AIRBAG GIVES ADDITIONAL UPPER BODY RESTRAINT
AND CAN KEEP YOUR FACE FROM HITTING THE STEERING WHEEL.
BUT REMEMBER THAT A CRASH IS OVER IN A FRACTION OF A SECOND,
SO THE AIRBAG HAS TO INFLATE VERY FAST.
THEY LOOK LIKE SOFT PILLOWS, IN SLOW MOTION,
BUT WHEN THEY BEGIN INFLATING,
THERE'S CONSIDERABLE FORCE BEHIND THEM.
[BANG!]
IDEALLY YOU WANT THE BAG TO FULLY INFLATE
BEFORE YOU CONTACT IT.
THIS IS ANOTHER REASON TO MOVE YOUR SEAT BACK
AS FAR AS IT'S COMFORTABLE,
AWAY FROM THE PATH OF AN INFLATING AIRBAG.
ONCE IT'S INFLATED,
IT PROVIDES AN ENERGY-ABSORBING BUFFER AS IT DEFLATES.
SOMETHING ELSE TO REMEMBER IS NOT TO DRIVE
WITH YOUR ARM ACROSS THE STEERING WHEEL.
THE REASON IS THE SAME
AS WHY YOU SIT BACK AND AWAY FROM AN AIRBAG.
THE INITIAL INFLATION FORCE... CAN BE ENOUGH TO BREAK YOUR ARM.
Woman: NOW THE UP POSITION...
IT'S SIX CENTIMETERS.
Zuby: TOWARD THE END OF A SERIOUS FRONTAL CRASH,
PEOPLE REBOUND BACKWARDS TOWARD THE SEAT
AND THEN THEIR HEAD RESTRAINTS CAN BE IMPORTANT.
THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THESE
IS TO PROTECT THE HEAD AND NECK IN A REAR IMPACT.
BUT HEAD RESTRAINTS CAN ALSO CATCH YOUR HEAD
AND PREVENT INJURY DURING REBOUND.
A HEAD RESTRAINT SHOULD BE DIRECTLY BEHIND
AND VERY CLOSE TO THE BACK OF YOUR HEAD.
IF YOUR HEAD RESTRAINT ISN'T FIXED IN PLACE,
ADJUST IT SO THAT IT'S BEHIND
AND AS CLOSE TO THE BACK OF YOUR HEAD AS POSSIBLE.
THIS WAY, IT CAN PROTECT YOU IN BOTH FRONT AND REAR IMPACTS.
SO FAR, WE'VE BEEN FOCUSING ON THE BEST PROTECTION FOR DRIVERS,
AND MOST OF IT APPLIES TO ADULT PASSENGERS, TOO.
THEN, THERE ARE SOME DIFFERENT STEPS FOR CHILDREN.
IDEALLY, INFANTS AND YOUNG CHILDREN
SHOULD ALWAYS RIDE IN THE REAR WHERE THE RISK OF INJURY IS LOWER.
IF THERE'S A PASSENGER AIRBAG,
REAR-FACING RESTRAINTS SHOULD NEVER BE PLACED UP FRONT
BECAUSE IF THE AIRBAG INFLATES,
IT CAN HIT THE BACK OF THE RESTRAINT
WITH ENOUGH FORCE TO SERIOUSLY INJURE THE BABY.
WHEN INFANTS GRADUATE TO CHILD SEATS,
THEY SHOULD STILL RIDE IN BACK.
MAKE SURE THE RESTRAINT
IS TIGHTLY SECURED TO THE VEHICLE WITH THE SAFETY BELT...
AND THE CHILD IS BUCKLED IN, TOO.
WHEN CHILDREN GET TOO BIG FOR THEIR CHILD RESTRAINTS,
THEY MAY USE BOOSTER SEATS TO RAISE THEM UP
AND GET A BETTER FIT INTO AN ADULT SAFETY BELT.
OR A CHILD MAY BE BIG ENOUGH TO USE AN ADULT BELT WITHOUT A BOOSTER.
JUST BE SURE THE LAP BELT FITS LOW ACROSS THE HIPS
AND THE SHOULDER PORTION IS COMFORTABLE.
DON'T EVER PUT A SHOULDER BELT BEHIND A CHILD OR UNDER THE ARM.
REMEMBER, THE REAR SEAT IS STILL THE SAFEST.
ONLY IF THERE'S NO CHOICE SHOULD A CHILD RIDE UP FRONT.
AND IF THERE'S A PASSENGER AIRBAG,
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER
THAT THE FORCE OF AN INFLATING AIRBAG CAN CAUSE INJURIES.
SO MOVE THE VEHICLE SEAT BACK AS FAR AS IT WILL GO
TO KEEP THE CHILD AWAY FROM THE AIRBAG
AND, FOR THE SAME REASON, DON'T LET A CHILD SIT FORWARD
ON THE EDGE OF THE SEAT LIKE SOME KIDS WANT TO DO.
AND REMEMBER THIS ESPECIALLY:
NEVER PLACE AN INFANT RESTRAINT UP FRONT
IF THERE'S A PASSENGER AIRBAG.
RIDING UNRESTRAINED HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE BIGGEST HAZARD
FOR BOTH CHILDREN AND ADULTS.
SAFETY BELTS AND AIRBAGS ARE SAVING LIVES
AND PREVENTING SERIOUS INJURIES.
IF YOU TAKE THESE FEW EXTRA STEPS,
YOU'LL BE IN A POSITION
TO GET THE MAXIMUM BENEFITS FROM YOUR RESTRAINTS.
SO REMEMBER THE BASICS: BUCKLE UP PROPERLY;
SIT BACK SO YOU'RE AWAY FROM THE STEERING WHEEL AND AIRBAG;
CHECK YOUR HEAD RESTRAINT;
AND MAKE SURE INFANTS AND CHILDREN
ARE RESTRAINED PROPERLY IN REAR SEATS.
MAKING SURE EVERYONE IS EFFECTIVELY RESTRAINED
IS THE BEST WAY TO REDUCE YOUR RISKS IN THE CRASH.