阅读理解
Safety on the highways is not totally out of our hands．Here are four ways we can protect ourselves when we travel．
1．When your parents said you were safer in a larger car, they were right．
People in small cars are injured more often and more severely than people traveling in large cars．Manufacturers of small cars are building in more safety, which helps．But the mix of large cars and small cars on the road is the crux of the problem．No matter how good the safety features on a small car, it’s at a serious disadvantage in a crash with a vehicle that is a lot bigger and heavier．
2．Being slammed in to shattering(突然破裂的)glass and metal car parts－or being thrown from the car－can really do damage to flesh and blood．
That’s why vehicle passengers and drivers should wear safety belts, The safety belts, only purpose is to hold back you if your car has a sudden, violent hit with another vehicle or object－or if it rolls over．
How much do belts help? A lot．A lap-and-shoulder-belt combination can reduce the risk of fatal(致命的)injury by 45 percent and the chance of serious injury by 50 percent, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA)．
3．Air bags are important．
More than half of all new cars sold have air bags, and for good reason．Air bags provide additional protection in frontal crashes－the type of crash that kills the most motorists－when passengers and drivers are also wearing lap and shoulder safety belts．Consumers are demanding air bags in the cars they buy．The protection provided by air bags is limited in side or back hits; effective as they are, they can’t take the place of properly fastened safety belts．
4．A vehicle’s head restraint(安全头枕)is not for relaxing your head while you wait at a traffic light．
The purpose of the head restraint is to protect your neck and head if a car pushes you violently from behind．Without protection, your head can be snapped back, breaking your neck．(This is often known as “whiplash”．)The head restraints of a vehicle may or may not be adjustable．There is a tendency with adjustable restraints to leave them in the lowest position, which protects only short people．If your head restraint is adjustable, it should be set so it can fully support your head and neck in a crash．
