Republic Act No. 8750 also known as the “ Seat Belts Use Act of 1999” is a policy created to secure the passengers and drivers of private and public motor vehicles from the effects of vehicular accidents[4]. Nowadays, almost everyone rides some form of motor vehicle transportation. Through this law, both passengers and drivers are required to wear their seat belts while inside the running vehicle. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seat belts dramatically reduce the risk of death and serious injury for drivers and front-seat passengers by 45% and 50% respectively. Additionally, people not wearing a seat belt are 30 times more likely to be ejected from a vehicle during a crash[1]. Wearing a seatbelt is objectively better than not wearing a seatbelt. However, upon researching the topic, I came across articles that state minor annoyances as a con to wearing seatbelts as well as accident related injuries collectively called “seatbelt syndrome” which range from bruising and abrasions following the distribution of the seatbelt to intra-abdominal injuries and vertebral fractures[2][7]. These injuries stem from seat belt working correctly transmitting physical energy to the clavicle, chest wall, and superior pelvis and in some cases, the neck area and abdominal viscera[5]. As bad as “seatbelt syndrome” may sound, it is a much better outcome than death. Lastly, an old hypothesis stated that the use of seatbelts increase risk-taking in drivers, this has been disproven by research articles during 90’swhich stated that risk taking behavior is inversely proportional to seatbelt use[3][6]. The compulsory use of seatbelts is not being strictly followed nor implemented in my locality as motor vehicle laws are given less focus in rural areas and local governments also lack the proper resources to strictly enforce this law.
References:
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011, January 3). Policy impact: Seat belts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved September 4, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/transportationsafety/seatbeltbrief/index.html
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Limitations vs benefits. Physics. (n.d.). Retrieved September 4, 2022, from https://carsafetyphysics.weebly.com/limitations-vs-benefits.html
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Oleckno, W. A., & Blacconiere, M. J. (1990). Risk-taking behaviors and other correlates of seat belt use among university students. Public Health, 104(3), 155–164. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0033-3506(05)80371-3
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Republic Act No. 8750 . R.A. 8750. (n.d.). Retrieved September 4, 2022, from https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra1999/ra_8750_1999.html
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Seat belt injuries - statpearls - NCBI bookshelf. (n.d.). Retrieved September 4, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470262/
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Von Buseck, C. R., Evans, L., Schmidt, D. E., & Wasielewski, P. (1980). Seat belt usage and risk taking in driving behavior. SAE Technical Paper Series. https://doi.org/10.4271/800388
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What are the pros and cons of wearing a seatbelt? DoNotPay. (n.d.). Retrieved September 4, 2022, from https://donotpay.com/learn/pros-and-cons-of-wearing-a-seatbelt/