Q: What instantly turns 60 pounds into 2,700 pounds? A: A 30-mph crash.

Q: What instantly turns 60 pounds into 2,700 pounds? A: A 30-mph crash.

    ROCKLEIGH, N.J., July 2 Force = Mass x Acceleration. While
that maybe an oversimplification, the fact is the laws of physics are
unyielding. Imagine this: A 60 pound unbelted child in the back seat of a car
traveling at a mere 30 miles per hour is involved in a sudden collision can
weigh as much as a young elephant -- about 2,700 pounds. That means the child
can, during a frontal accident, impact the windshield or the front seat
occupant -- with deadly force.  Not a pretty physics lesson.

    False: An unbelted person in the rear seat is safe.
    True: It's a human tragedy that is easy to prevent - CLICK!

    Some important statistics.
    Accidents will happen, but they don't have to become tragedies. According
to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an estimated 4,193
children's lives were saved from 1975 to 1998 by the use of safety belts and
child restraints.
    According to the National Safe Kids Campaign, 75 percent of all crashes
occur within 25 miles of home. And most of those take place on roads with
maximum speed limits of 40 mph or less.
    In 1998, 1,765 children age 14 or younger were killed riding as passengers
in motor vehicle accidents.  The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
reports that motor vehicle crashes account for one in three injury deaths
among children. Further, it states that crash injuries are the leading cause
of death among 5-12-year olds.

    Some important thoughts.
    "Restraints help people and cars move together. Imagine trying to keep
your balance in a standing room only train car as it lurches forward suddenly
or stops abruptly without something to brace yourself with" comments Christer
Gustafsson, Senior Safety Engineer for Volvo Cars, Sweden.
    "People are just full of reasons for not belting back seat passengers"
states Christer. "School's just 3 minutes away, we're just going to the
grocery store, or just over to friend's house."  We're full of excuses. But in
the end, if we don't belt our children or for that matter any rear seat
occupant, we're setting them up for injuries or death. 'Sorry' doesn't go very
far then."

    But a young elephant?
    "Unless one studies physics, the numbers seem unreal. But they are very
real" according to Christer. "In the rapid deceleration that occurs at the
moment of impact, a child's "crash weight" increases dramatically. For
instance, at 30 miles per hour, an unbelted 60-pound child will be hurled
forward with a force that multiplies the impact approximately 45 times above
normal; depending on the object collided with. At 42 miles per hour, those
numbers rise to 75 to 150 times normal. So, in effect, the crash weight of a
60-pound child at 42 miles per hour can range from 4,500 to 9,000 pounds.
That's an astounding 2 - 4 tons, or about the weight of an elephant. A
crushing force indeed."

    But weigh there's more.
    A car's seat belt keeps doing its job of helping to retain the occupant
within the safety structure of the cabin after the initial impact has
occurred.  Accidents might involve secondary impacts and rollovers. It is the
seat belts that help keep the rear seated occupants strapped safely inside the
vehicle until the energy of the accident has dissipated. "During a roll-over
the effect is very much like clothes in a washing machine during the spin
cycle. There are huge forces that can easily eject occupants who are not using
a seat belt." states Christer.

    Volvo and Rear Seat Safety Features.
    Volvo pioneered the in car use of three-point front seat belt system in
1959. Rear-seat outboard three-point belts became standard Volvo fare in 1967
(23 years before they were required by U.S. law). Since 1985, Volvo has
installed rear center position three-point belts in its 740/760 series and
later 940/960 series. Today all Volvos are equipped with three-point seat
belts at all seating positions. Even the V70 and Cross Country wagons when
fitted with the optional rear-facing third row seat also includes three-point
belts.
    Small children who have outgrown their toddler seat should use a booster
cushion to help properly position the three-point seat belt. Volvo offers the
integrated child booster cushion for children 40-80 pounds who need to be
comfortable and properly restrained. There are two styles: one that can be
moved from car to car, the other is built into the seat cushion. The car's
rear seat bottom opens up, its lower half then forming a booster seat cushion.
This cushion is high enough to correctly position the lap portion of the seat
belt low across the child's hips, together with the vehicle's adjustable
center head restraint forms a comfortable and safe seat for the child.

    The most important safety feature of all.
    "I'm often asked, 'What's the most important safety feature in your
Volvo's?' states Christer. "With great fun, I say, 'The driver'. After all,
the driver makes the decision to properly use safety devices we engineer into
our cars.  Using seat belts is so easy, if more people understand the law of
physics, people would see the importance of using seat belts - in both front
and rear seats. Parents should set the example by using their seat belts and
insisting the rear seat passengers do the same.  Offer your beloved children
the same safety you do when you buckle-up. Having everyone belted is a great
gift of life and love."
    So do your part for car safety. Help protect that most precious cargo of
all -- buckle them up. No one wants an elephant in the back seat.

    References: http://www.saferoads.org/issues/fs-child.htm
                http://www.saferoads.org/press/pr_child.htm
                http://www.safekids.org/
                 tier3_cd.cfm?content_item+314&folder_id=170
                http://www.aap.org/advocacy/buckleup.htm
                http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/airbags/
                 presbelt/america_seatbelt.html