What is the purpose of wearing a seatbelt?

Wearing a seatbelt is primarily aimed at reducing the risk of injury during a crash. Seatbelts are designed to secure occupants in their seats, preventing them from being ejected from the vehicle or colliding with hard surfaces inside the car during an accident. The physics of a crash indicates that an unrestrained occupant is much more likely to suffer severe injuries or fatalities due to the forces involved. By keeping the body in place and distributing the force of a collision across stronger parts of the body, seatbelts significantly enhance the chances of survival and lessen the severity of injuries sustained during accidents.

The other options—avoiding traffic tickets, boosting comfort, and improving vehicle performance—are not the primary purposes of seatbelts. While it is true that wearing a seatbelt can help avoid fines related to seatbelt laws, that is not their main function. Similarly, comfort may be a side effect of being strapped securely in one’s seat, but it is not the primary intent. As for vehicle performance, seatbelts do not have a direct effect on how well a vehicle operates. Hence, the principal rationale for seatbelt use remains centered around safety and injury prevention.