Show A Seat Belt Could Have Saved Princess Di By Emily Sorensen Contributing Writer Princess Diana would be alive tod today y if she had been wearing her seat belt She was sitting in the safest place in the car during her accident which was in the back seat behind the front passenger It has not been proven if she had been wearing her seat belt she would have been saved but she would have had a very good chance of survival There were three deaths in the tragic accident But there were four people in the car only one of them survived Trevor Rees-Jones Rees the survivor in the crash was the only one wearing a seat belt You should always wear a seat belt If you are not putting on a seat seatbelt seatbelt seatbelt belt then what are you relying on to protect you in an accident Hopefully you are not depending on the airbag as your only protection from hitting the windshield The seat seatbelt seatbelt seatbelt belt and airbag work hand in hand to restrain you when you are struck And if you think because you are in ina a big truck you dont don't need to wear a seat belt you are wrong Big trucks get in accidents too By not wearing a seat belt you can be thrown from your vehicle Safety belts are life- life savers They restrain you from hitting hitting hitting hit hit- ting the he dashboard and windshield Seat belts even restrict you from flying flying flying fly fly- fly fly- ing outside the car which is the cause of most injuries Your chance of survival in a crash is increased five times if you stay inside of a vehicle said Karl Searl Sear author of the book Automotive Interest If the belt is too tight or rubs your neck ask your local car dealer how to adjust it so it continues to provide maximum safety with adequate com com- fort You can also place a soft cloth on the belt where it touches your neck This comment was found in Health and Law at http y html For ten years Michigan has had a mandatory seat belt law that has saved more than lives Only 66 percent of Michigan residents currently currently currently cur cur- buckle up About 1000 vehicle vehicle vehicle cle occupants were killed in traffic accidents in Michigan in 1994 Only fewer than half that were wearing wearing wearing wear wear- ing seat belts Reports indicate that about 15 to 20 percent of traffic tickets tickets tickets tick tick- ets in St. St Joseph County are seat belt related said Dianne Ross author of Seat Belt Primary Offense A childs child's safety should be your first priority when you put them in a car By law an infant up to 20 pounds and up to one year old must ride in a rear-facing rear child seat in the back seat Children and infants should never ride in the front seat of a car with airbags Adults and parents must never allow their children to ride on their laps while in the car Children over 40 pounds should ride in a booster seat until the cars car's lap and shoulder belt fit right Do not neck cross over the childs child's face or with the shoulder belt Also dont don't put the shoulder belt under their arms or behind them The safest place for any child 12 years old and under is in the back seat buckled up in a booster boost boost- er or with a shoulder lap belt if it fits The outcome of a car accident involving a child who is not in a car seat could be devastating Seventy percent of all child traffic fatalities could be prevented if parents used child safety seats A childs child's safety depends on a parents parent's willingness to use equipment correctly and to use it every time the child gets in iri the car This information also found in the Health Guide You should also set an example for your children by wearing a seat belt Daily as you get into your car the first thing you hear after you turn the key is an annoying bell telling you to put on your seat belt Do not think of it as the annoying bell think of it as the warning bell sounding off to warn you that your death may be drawing near Take heed to the warning warning warning warn warn- ing and buckle your seat belt If your life is of no worth to you you should continue getting into the- the car without putting on your seat belt But if you value your life and the lives of everyone else especially your children constantly stress the importance of wearing your safety belt Do not be like Princess Diana protect your life so you can be here for your children and to be able to live your life to the fullest It is important to buckle the safety belt across your body Do not do it for forme forme forme me do it for the sake of saving your up |