From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A
bullet-proof vest
(also called "bulletproof vest", "
body armor
" or "body armour") is a protective piece of
clothing
that covers the torso (chest, abdomen, and back) of a person. It protects the wearer from most
pistol
and
revolver
bullets
and from fragments of explosive devices such as grenades. Bullet-proof vests are worn by
police
officers,
soldiers
,
security guards
, and people who are at risk of being shot (such as the leader of a country).
Bullet-proof vests contain many layers of tightly-woven
fabric
such as
Kevlar
(or hard, strong materials such as
ceramic
or
titanium
) which can stop the metal pistol or revolver bullets or metal shell fragments from going into a person's body.
How much protection does a bullet-proof vest provide?
[
change
|
change source
]
When a bullet hits a bullet-proof vest, the forceful impact of the bullet can seriously hurt, or even kill, the person wearing the vest even if the vest stops the bullet.
A bullet from a strong
sniper
rifle or
machine gun
can pierce a bullet-proof vest.
If a bullet hits a body part that the bullet-proof vest does not cover, the bullet can hurt or kill the person wearing the vest.
The bullet-proof vests worn by most police officers and security guards are made with many layers of tightly-woven fabric such as Kevlar.
Bullet-proof vests for soldiers are heavier and stronger than the bullet-proof vests worn by police officers and security guards, because soldiers need protection from rifle and machine gun bullets. Bullet-proof vests for soldiers often have flat pieces of ceramic material or a strong metal such as titanium. These materials can stop bullets from many rifles and machine guns.
- Helmet
- soldiers and some types of police officers (called tactical police officers) also wear helmets to protect themselves