How To Survive From An Accident

While we all hope that we will never be involved in an auto accident a little preparation can make your chances of surviving a crash much better than average.
Seat belts limit your risk: Always wear your seat belt. And make sure that your passengers wear theirs. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that lap and shoulder belts can reduce your chances of being killed in a crash by 40 to 50 percent. Seat belts help for two reasons:
They allow you and the car to slow down together. educing the possibility that you will be propelled forward—into the dash and windshield.
They also keep you inside the car. Nearly 25 percent of fatal accidents involve ejection from the car.
Air bags add extra protection: Consider equipping your car with air bags. NHTSA studies show that air bags alone can reduce the chance of a fatal crash by 20 to 40 percent And when air bag protection is combined with seat belt use the risk of a fatal crash can be reduced to 45 to 55 percent.
Child restraints are a good safety tip: Many states require that children be seated in approved child restraints. Whether it is the law or not using a specially designed child restraint is a good idea:
a rear-facing safety seat for infants less than 20 pounds;
a forward-facing seat for larger babies and toddlers;
a booster seat with shield or harness for children who have outgrown their safety seat; and
lap and shoulder belts for older children.
Buy a car that's engineered for safety: When choosing a new car you can compare the crashworthiness of vehicles within the same category. Ask your insurance agent about the safety rating for cars you are interested in
Lock your car doors: Keeping the doors closed will help prevent your being thrown from the car—especially in a rollover or side collision.
Remove loose objects: Loose items on the panel underneath the rear window can fly during a collision and may cause injury.
Position headrests properly: if you have adjustable head restraints keep them in the proper position to avoid whiplash.