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#722100
Before the industrial revolution, almost everyone that inhabited the earth was not afraid to work with giant risks that could involve death, just to get by in life. But when the industrial revolution came, so did a variety of machines, including some that could work in place of people that could be killed easilly, and some that would help people transport eachother (vehicles). As people used the machines and vehicles, they started forgetting the old days, when they did not give too much thought to their own safety. The most common of all vehicles today is the family car, which has evolved greatly from a box of metal that could move at a maximum of 15kmph to a sleek rocket capable of burning up the ground at 180kmph. Though technology has advanced rapidly, so have the risks in using the technology. When death tolls started appearing from car accidents, us, the people who were now self concious about safety started developing technology for safety in cars. Inventsion such as the seatbelts(1959) have since helped humans in surviving extreme car impacts. But seatbelts alone were not enough. In 1967, a new safety feature that all the new cars were required to have was a safety-cage with 'crumple zones', and in 1989, all newly manufactured cars were required to have installed airbags. With the three combined, a human could not be more safe in a car during a colision. Individually, however, the seatbelt is the best due to it's simplicity, yet effectiveness.
"If every state in the nation adopted a standard-enforcement law(for mandatory seat belts), we could save 1,900 lives and prevent more than 49,000 injuries a year."(Hanig,1997,18) is a quote from a story about a lifeflight nurse, who finds her own son dead in a horrible car accident, that effectively proves this point. The seat belt, costing only $26 to replace, and being a relatively simple, yet old invention has had many years to evolve into what we currently use today. It is a simple fibre strap that fits around one's chest and pelvis, so that during an unavoidable crash, the inertia from the human body still traveling forward (unlike the car that has instantaneously stopped) will be spread over a large area, and the most durable parts of the human body (the chest and pelvis).( howstuffworks.com). This is an excellent example of, how sometimes the simplest solution could be the best. Though this technology is readily available, not all choose to utilise it...
"When we arrived, our crew was directed to an area where many of the victims were being stabilized. My partner and I were asked to assist with a young man who was in serious trouble. As I stepped into the ambulance I could see that he was already receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation. As I moved in to help, I suddenly froze. I recognized the young man's shoes. They belonged to my 17-year-old son, Nik. In seconds my whole world crashed in around me. Nik was so gravely injured, I knew he was not going to survive.
Three of the four teenagers in the vehicle Nik was riding in were not wearing their seat belts. Two of the three unbelted passengers were killed: the driver and my son, who was in the back seat. The other unbelted back-seat passenger was ejected and seriously injured. The front-seat passenger, the only one wearing his seat belt, walked away with minor cuts and bruises. "
To get around this problem, humans have created other saftey devices that have been purposly installed in one's vehicle, and will deploy in the event of an accident even if unwanted. These devices will help save the lives of even the most stubborn people.
One of these devices are located in the dashboard and the steering wheel of all vehicles produced after 1998. (