What may be the consequences of a driver's failure to fasten their seat belts?
Show the correct answer
Correct answer
B. More bodily injuries suffered by the driver in the event of an accident.
Explanation
In the photo you can see an unfastened seat belt hanging from the upper anchorage by the pillar in a car. If the driver does not fasten the seat belt, there is a risk of more serious injuries in an accident - answer B. Seat belts have no effect on damage to the vehicle (A) and they do not protect the airbag (C); on the contrary - the airbag works properly only for a person who is wearing a seat belt.
The Road Traffic Act requires the driver of a motor vehicle and the passengers to use seat belts while driving. In a head-on collision at 50 km/h a driver without a seat belt hits the steering wheel and the windscreen with a force equal to falling from the third floor; the seat belt spreads this force across the chest and hips and holds the body in the seat, so that the airbag can slow it down gently. Without a seat belt, an airbag firing into your face can itself cause an injury. You fasten the seat belt before moving off, and you keep the belt flat, without twists.
Legal basis: Art. 39 para. 1 of the Road Traffic Act (Prawo o ruchu drogowym)