In a crash, a safety belt prevents your head and upper torso from moving too close to a deploying bag. That is why it is imperative that drivers and passengers always wear a safety belt.
Safety belts are key to safety in vehicles with air bags or without.
Always buckling up reduces your risk of being killed in a crash by 45 percent. The combination of a safety belt and an air bag reduces your risk of being killed by an additional 11 percent, and reduces your risk of serious head injury by 81 percent. To date, more than 4,800 lives have been saved by air bags. The combination of safety belts and air bags offer lifesaving technology for most of America. Medical experts agree that very few people would benefit from installing an on-off switch.