How does wearing a seat belt affect injury risk?

• A. Keeps occupants in position, reduces ejection risk, and spreads crash forces.
• B. Increases weight.
• C. Reduces fuel efficiency.
• D. Causes more injuries.

Answer: (A)

Wearing a seat belt is about controlling your body's movement during a crash to lower injury risk. It keeps you in the seat, which helps you stay in the proper position and makes airbags work effectively. It also greatly reduces the chance of being ejected from the vehicle, and it distributes the crash forces more evenly across stronger parts of your body, like the pelvis and chest, rather than letting them slam into the interior of the car. That combination—staying in place, reducing the likelihood of being thrown out, and spreading forces—greatly lowers the severity of injuries.

The other ideas don’t fit what seat belts do. A belt doesn’t meaningfully change your weight, and any impact on fuel efficiency is negligible. And rather than causing more injuries, a seat belt is designed to prevent or lessen injuries by controlling motion and protecting you during the crash.