developing your smart driving skills Seatbelts There are two good reasons to wear your seatbelt: It’ s also your responsibility as  driver to make sure that all  passengers are properly secured  with seatbelts or child restraint  systems. Even at low speeds, a crash forces  pressure of hundreds of kilograms  against your body. If you are  wearing a seatbelt, especially one  with a lap belt and a shoulder strap,  you’re much less likely to be injured,  knocked unconscious or ejected.  Even if your vehicle catches fire or  ends up in water, you have a better  chance of getting out quickly if you  stay conscious. Adjust your seatbelt so  that it fits snugly over your  chest and low over your  hips. Do not wear the  shoulder strap under your  arm or behind your back  or with a reclined seat  because putting this belt  over the wrong part of the  body could cause serious  internal injuries if you are  in a collision. Pregnant  women should make sure  the lap belt is snug and  below the baby.  If your vehicle rolls over or if you’re ejected, it’s likely you’ll  be seriously injured or killed. Wearing your seatbelt can help  prevent you from being ejected from the vehicle. Wearing  your seatbelt also helps keep you in control of your vehicle by  supporting you behind the steering wheel.  When your car stops  suddenly, your body will  continue to move forward  at the same speed the car  was travelling. Without a  seatbelt, your body will  not stop until you hit the  dashboard, windshield  or something outside of  the car. The lap belt holds you  down, and the shoulder  belt holds you back.  Wearing a seatbelt causes  you to stop when your  vehicle stops. Buckle up even on short trips, since most injuries and deaths  occur close to home. 14 • Wearing your seatbelt significantly reduces your chance of  serious injury or death in a crash. • It’s the law in B.C. — you can be fined for not wearing your seatbelt.