Seat belts and airbags improve car safety and may protect against or limit injury during an accident, but back and neck pain can still result.

The good news about car safety and injury prevention is that people are getting the message. Consider these statistics: According to the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), seat belt use increased from 69 percent to 85 percent between 1998 and 2010, and car safety provided by airbag use prevents about 3,000 deaths each year. Together, seat belts and airbags do save lives and reduce injuries.

But motor vehicle accidents can also cause whiplash-type injuries of your neck as well as injuries to your lower back — all of which can result in back pain or neck pain.

How Seat Belts and Airbags Protect You

"The purpose of the seat belt is to protect the spine from a significant impact and sustaining serious injury. Without a seat belt there is the definite possibility of a person becoming a projectile or sustaining forced trauma to the spine," says Harry N. Herkowitz, MD, chairman of orthopaedic surgery at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich.

Spinal injuries can be caused by any violent movement that pulls, twists, or causes compression of the spinal cord from the neck down to the lower spine. Seat belts and airbags both help prevent this type of injury by bracing your body against your seat and cushioning any possible impact with the steering wheel or the sides of your car.

Here are some car safety facts to consider:

• Airbags. Airbags have been shown to prevent serious injuries or death. However, passenger-side airbags can be dangerous for children 12 years of age and under; the safest place for children is properly restrained in the back seat.
• Seat belts. NHTSA statistics show that seatbelts saved 75,000 lives between 2004 and 2008, and wearing your seat belt lowers your risk of a crash injury by 50 percent.
• SUV safety. If you are one of the many people who choose a sport utility vehicle (SUV) because they believe that SUVs are safer, you should know that you need seat belts along with your airbags for SUV safety just as much as in a smaller car. The NHTSA says that SUVs are significantly more likely to roll over in an accident than non-SUVs.

Spine Injuries Prevented by Seat Belts and Airbags

"Seat belts and airbags are helpful for preventing severe whiplash injuries and to reduce the impact to the spine," explains Dr. Herkowitz. “Severe impact may cause injury to the neck area, middle, and lower back.” Some of the injuries seat belts and air bags can help prevent after an car accident:

• Neck pain. A whiplash injury to your neck may cause symptoms right away or symptoms may show up hours to days later. Muscle spasms, neck pain, or numbness in your arms and shoulders could be symptoms of a spinal cord injury in the neck.
• Back pain. Injury to your spine in your chest area can cause pain that affects your arms, back, and legs. Symptoms may include pain, weakness, and numbness. Injuries in the middle part of your spine can even affect your blood pressure and body temperature regulation.
• Herniated or ruptured disk. This type of injury usually affects the lower part of your back and is caused when one of the natural cushions between the bones in your back bulges or ruptures. Symptoms may include low back pain, weakness or pain of your legs, and in severe cases, loss of bowel or bladder control.

If you have neck pain after a car accident or other symptoms of injury to your middle or lower back such as weakness or numbness, see your doctor. Car safety is an important part of avoiding spinal injuries. The sudden and severe forces applied to your neck and back during a car crash can cause tremendous strain on your spine. The best way to avoid back and spinal injuries is to drive safely and always use your seat belt.

Motor vehicle accidents are a major cause of spinal cord injuries, but you can reduce your risk by using your seat belt combined with the car safety provided by airbags.