| It's not that Melissa dismissed the
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| | for them. According to the Insurance
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| notion of fastening her seat belt. The
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| | Institute for Highway Safety, the overall
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| thought just never entered her mind. She
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| | fatality-reducing effectiveness for air
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| and her friends were eager to begin their
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| | bags is about 14 percent over and above
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| picnic in the country, and there was more
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| | the benefits from using safety belts. In
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| hurry than caution to her actions. At
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| | vehicles with air bags:
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| some point Melissa lost control of her
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| | * All passengers should wear safety
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| car, and it rolled over several times.
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| | belts.
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| The vibrant young high school cheerleader
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| | * Place rear-facing child safety seats in
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| was thrown from the automobile and left
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| | the back seat of vehicles with
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| paralyzed from the waist down. She knows
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| | passenger-side air bags. A deploying air
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| she would have avoided her tragedy with a
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| | bag can cause serious and fatal head
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| simple, three-second procedure. And
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| | injuries to a child.
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| that's hardly a cheerful thought.
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| | * Keep your hands away from the steering
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| Based on National Safety Council
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| | wheel hub that contains the air bag. An
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| statistics, lifetime odds are 1-in-2 that
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| | inflating air bag could break a hand or
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| you will suffer a temporary or permanent
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| | fingers.
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| disabling injury in a traffic crash, and
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| | * If you have a passenger side air bag,
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| about 1-in-100 that you will be killed.
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| | kids under age 13, or 5-feet-3 inches,
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| Surprisingly, the majority of crashes
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| | should ride in the back seat.
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| causing injury or death occur within 25
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| | * Sit as far back from the steering wheel
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| miles of home at speeds under 40 mph.
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| | as is comfortably possible. You should
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| Superior engineering is making
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| | sit at least 10 inches away from the
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| automobiles safer, but the ultimate
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| | wheel.
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| responsibility for safety rests with the
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| | * If you are short, try tilting the
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| people behind the wheel.
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| | steering wheel down and raising the seat
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| Safety Belts Are Mandatory
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| | to achieve 10 inches and still drive
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| * According to the National Safety
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| | comfortably. If this doesn't work, pedal
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| Council, passenger car and light truck
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| | extenders should be considered. The
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| occupants who wear safety belts cut the
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| | further away you are, the more
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| risk of serious or fatal injury in
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| | efficiently the bag will work.
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| collisions between 45 and 65 percent.
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| | Pregnant Women, Children And Pets
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| * Ejection from a vehicle is one of the
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| | * Pregnant women should position the lap
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| most injurious events that can happen to
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| | belt as low as they can under the
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| a person in a crash. In fact, you are 25
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| | abdominal bulge and let the shoulder
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| times more likely to die when you are
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| | strap rest across their chest. Wearing
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| thrown from your vehicle. The safest
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| | both belts will protect both the mother
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| place in a crash is inside your car.
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| | and the fetus. In cold weather, unbutton
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| Buckle up!
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| | outer clothing so the belt won't creep
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| * If buckled in, you won't be:
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| | up.
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| -flung through the windshield,
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| | * Do not hold a child on your lap in a
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| -pitched into traffic, or against a
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| | moving automobile. In a crash, it could
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| telephone post or tree,
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| | be crushed between the occupant and
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| -thrown across rough, lacerating
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| | dashboard or windshield, or hit by a
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| surfaces, or
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| | deploying air bag. The only safe place
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| -crushed by your own vehicle.
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| | for a child is in an approved safety
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| * For everyone's protection, back-seat
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| | seat.
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| passengers should be buckled in. That way
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| | * To be sure the safety seat is correctly
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| they won't become dangerous projectiles
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| | installed, go to a local organization
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| in the automobile cabin in the event of a
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| | that offers to check safety seat
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| crash.
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| | installation.
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| Oh, and for the skeptics in the crowd,
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| | * Whenever possible, children should ride
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| please note: drowning or incineration
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| | in the center of the back seat, properly
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| accounts for less than one-tenth of 1
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| | restrained.
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| percent of deaths in automobile crashes.
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| | * If a child must ride in the front seat,
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| And it's easier to escape if you're
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| | make sure the seat is all the way back,
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| conscious.
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| | the child stays belted, and sits back in
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| In Vehicles With Air Bags
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| | the seat.
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| Air bags are a supplement to safety belts
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| | * When you drive with your pet, use a pet
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| and are not intended to be a substitute
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| | safety belt.
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