#SeatBelts

General Motors is launching a new safety system in some of its vehicles that won’t allow the driver to shift out of park unless occupants buckle their seat belts.

Threatening ad campaigns and steep fines aren’t enough to keep drivers belted to their seats.

According to a recent survey conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 91 percent of children under 13 are using car seats, booster seats, and belts.

It might come as a surprise to some, but seat-belt use has gone up in America over last year, resulting in an all-time high at 86 percent.

Being obese might make car crashes more dangers according to a new study that suggests seriously overweight drivers sustain worse injuries and are more likely to be involved in collisions. 

Seat belt reminders for those in the front seats have been around since the 1970s and more recently have caught on with roughly 75% of new cars coming with the safety feature. But soon that chime, bing or ding could be coming to the rear seats as well.

Mercedes will become the second automaker to equip its cars with inflatable seat belts, likely in the S-Class sedan, which will go into production next year.

It’s a case of technicality versus practicality: The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration told Hyundai to replace the center rear seat belts in 14,728 Sonata Hybrids made between 2011 and 2012, but the Korean automaker declined.

Disclaimers exist for a reason: some things really are best left to professionals – for instance, stunt car driving.

In this video, a couple of thrill seekers decide it’ll be cool to pull a few extreme moves for the camera. After kicking up some smoking donuts, the driver decides to take on a sharp turn for on-lookers. Unfortunately, someone in the car isn’t wearing a seat belt and the door swings open. What happens next is just simple physics, obviously a class in high school that this passenger didn’t attend. The man appears to be unharmed by the accident, aside from scrapes, bruises and his ego.

The man who is ejected from the vehicle appears to come out of the back seat, although the video’s poor quality makes it hard to determine whether he is the driver, front passenger or rear passenger. Watch closely and let us know which person you see popping out in the comments section below.

Finally, though we shouldn’t have to remind you, do not to try this at home… otherwise we’ll be making fun of you next time around.

It’s a little thing that does so much. By buckling up in the car, you increase your chances of surviving a serious car accident. And now, seat belt use in the U.S. has risen to 85 percent – its highest level yet.