Law enforcement officers wear body armor because it provides protection and saves lives. For law enforcement professionals to use body vests effectively, they need to understand how they work. The ballistic body armor must fit perfectly; otherwise, it won’t provide the level of protection it is supposed to provide.
Thousands of lives have been saved thanks to body armor. According to a study, police officers who do not wear ballistic armor have a 14 times higher risk of dying from an injury. Police officers wear body armor routinely and whenever they are on duty. However, many officers do not know important facts about bullet-proof body armor that they should be aware of. Here are some of the facts you should know to stay safe.
1) Nobody’s Armor is 100% Bulletproof
Without a doubt, body armors provide ample protection; however, they can not protect against all sorts of assaults and threats. Body vests are made out of many layers of tightly woven fabric. Very strong fabric is used to make the vests, but nobody’s armor is 100% bulletproof. In many incidents, bullets have managed to penetrate the body armors designed to stop those bullets. You must be vigilant and must act responsibly.
2) Which Fabric withstands a Bullet?
Soft body vests are made up of many ballistic panels that consist of highly specialized and tough fibers interwoven into a mesh. Tightly woven fibers make up the fabric and provide strength and durability. This type of fabric is bullet-proof. It slows down the bullets and absorbs the force produced due to contact. It is ideal for protection against handguns. However, rifle rounds can penetrate the soft armor vest.
3) All Types of Vests Undergo Testing
NIJ updates its test methods, standards, and performance requirements every 6 to 9 years for body armor designed to protect handguns and rifle attacks. It is very important to note that female officers must buy body armor for females, as the male body armor may not fit properly and may hinder their movement. Tests are done to test each gender design separately and make sure they provide maximum protection.
4) Which Fabric can withstand a Bullet?
Soft body armors consist of many strong panels that are made up of very strong fibers. These fibers are tightly woven together to make up a single layer of the fabric. Multiple layers of this fabric make up the body vest.
This sort of fabric is very effective in withstanding bullets. It slows them down, absorbs the force produced due to contact, and distributes the force across the panels. This sort of fabric is also effective in dispersing the force coming from handgun bullets. This is the definition of a level 3a stab-proof vest at its best. However, high-velocity rifle rounds can penetrate the body vest.
In a Nutshell
Body armor has saved the lives of thousands of officers on duty and soldiers on missions. However, nobody’s armor is 100% bulletproof, and deaths and injuries are still reported. But that does not mean body armors are useless. They are highly effective against ballistic attacks. The body vest is made up of tightly woven fibers that absorb bullets and disperse the force equally.
