From time to time I like to test my knowledge about the auto industy.  Recently I took a ten question quiz to find out if I’m up to speed on my safety knowledge.  Unfortunately I only answered six of ten correctly.  However, I won’t force our readers to answer anything incorrectly.  Instead, here are ten safety facts that everyone should know.

• Seatbelts reduce the risk of death for front seat occupants by about 50%.
• Seatbelts, which consist of a lap belt and shoulder belt, apply most of the stopping force to your rib cage and pelvis, which are considered relatively sturdy parts of the body.
• Instead of the whole car coming to an abrupt stop when encountering an obstacle, the “crumple zone” absorbs some of the force from the impact, preventing it from being transmitted to the occupants.
• The advantage of ABS is that when you press the brakes, ABS pumps the brakes many times per second, preventing wheel lockup and helping you to maintain steering control.
• Tempered safety glass, which has been heated and then quickly cooled in order for it to harden, is five to ten times stronger than untempered glass.
• Statistics show that airbags reduce the risk of dying in a direct frontal crash by about 30%.
• Upon impact, an airbag inflation system reacts sodium azide with potassium nitrate to produce nitrogen gas that inflates the airbag.
• To avoid injury from an inflated airbag, you should sit 10 inches away from the airbag so it gives you a clear margin of safety. You can measure the distance from the center of the steering wheel to your breastbone.
• The requirements for a child to sit in a forward facing child seat are that they must be older than one year of age and weigh more than 20 pounds.
• Children are typically ready to use an adult seatbelt without the aid of a booster seat when they’re about 4’9” tall and about eight years old.

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