Safety Through Seat Belts

0660 PA8713 Safety Through Seat Belts 16 B&W comp print; from 002.01; Univ of Calif production

This item is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives

Audio/Visual: sound, B&W
Keywords: need meta

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: Mental Cleanser - - February 28, 2008
Subject: Safety facts without melodrama

Unlike many classic driver's safety films, this manages to convey the importance of using a seat belt without excessive concentration on violent death. There are some still shots of accidents and victims; however, the main thrust of the film is a scientific analysis of exactly how much safer a seat belt can make passengers. The concentration on statistics isn't surprising since it features engineers with the University of California.

Overall, the viewer is left with a strong impression of the importance of seat belts. The movie accomplishes its goal well. It also makes the modern viewer wonder why it would take so long to put seat belts in cars, given the evidence of their efficacy!

Reviewer: Spuzz - - June 21, 2004
Subject: Mmm Mmmm MMmmm

Suspiciously looking like a Highway Safety Foundation film, this film details, sometimes graphically the dangers of not wearing seat belts. The army does it, so why not you? We then cut to, yes, graphic photos of car accident scenes, with mothers and 3 year olds crushed to death, wee!!! We then turn to the main focus of the film, the simulation of a car crash using test dummies and nice looking old cars. The simulations go off without a hitch, the narrator lustily tells us that one of the dummy's faces would have been shorn clean off from the metal.
This film held my interest because of the material here presented, but may not be for everybody.

Reviewer: dan b - - January 31, 2004
Subject: Buckle Up

It is incredible to think that there was a time when nobody wore seatbelts. I remember as a child standing up in the front seat of the family car while dad drove down the road! That is unthinkable today, thanks to safety experiments like the one shown in this film.
The film starts off with cool shots of USAF jets flying manouvers. Next we see the pilot and his family buckle up and drive off in their beautiful '59 Plymouth which sports tail-fins the size of the jets we just saw. Next, some disturbing pictures of actual car accident victims, including a fatality involving a mother and very young child. The film then moves on to the simulated crashes. These scenes are very cool and interesting to watch. There can be no doubt in anybody's mind how life-threatening it is to drive without wearing a seatbelt.
This film has a timeless message. Seatbelts save lives. Why did it take another two decades to make wearing them a standard part of driving?

Reviewer: Steve Nordby - - January 28, 2004
Subject: "New elements of danger"

A fairly sober attempt to promote seat belt use through their obvious benefit. Starts off with Air Force jets flying while the announcer tells us flying has become routine and safe. But when our pilot friend lands, he must face a whole new set of hazards on wheels. Next we see still photos of bashed up cars and injured bodies. The remainder of the film shows University of California auto safety tests from the 1950's.

As I remember it, once upon a time, seat belts were an option that the car buyer paid extra for and few cars had. Because of crash tests like the ones in this film, the US adopted auto safety regulations that mandated seat belts (and headrests) in cars starting in 1969. I remember the arguments against: "If get into an accident, I will be trapped in my car" and "It is safer to be thrown clear of the car in an accident."

I would love to have one of those big-finned 1959 Plymouths!