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Show Seat belt use can mean difference between life, deathl "I never unbuckle a dead person." You'll hear a lot of people say that police officers, EMTs, and others who are among the first to arrive at the scene of an automobile accident. They've learned the value of seat belts from experience, and they know that seat belts are, in many cases, life savers. While it's true that seat belts don't prevent accidents, they do minimize the damage from the so-called second collision in auto accidents when the driver's or passenger's body collides with something inside the car. Because when a car is moving and comes to a rapid stop, the inside and outside of the car become lethal weapons. Steering wheels kill 30 percent of the unbelted occupants who die in auto accidents. The surface of the side interior kills another 22 percent. The windshield frame kills 20 percent while the windshield kills 8 percent. Passengers aren't only at risk with the interior of the automobile auto-mobile -- but the exterior as well. In fact, 30 percent of the unbelted auto fatalities are killed outside the car, after being thrown there by the impact of the automobile. Seat belts, especially those with shoulder harnesses, offer protection against all of these. We come up with all kinds of reasons for not using our seat belts and many simply feel the belts are inconvenient and uncomfortable. And so we sacrifice safety and possibly our lives for the sake of convenience and comfort. It's a poor exchange A recent survey has shown that as few as 15 percent of local drivers and passengers use their seat belts. That' remarkably poor record, and one we should all work at imp, ing. v" Over the next few weeks a challenge is beingissued to all a drivers to wear their seatbelts for a period of time -- three weelT for example -- in hopes that three weeks of use will expand i a lifetime of habit. 0 It's a challenge we should all accept. Because wearing those seat belts could mean an expanded lifetime. |
