Public Safety survey deems seatbelt usage important
Dear Editor,
A recent observational safety belt survey conducted on our campus by Public Safety revealed that only 65 percent of drivers were wearing a safety belt! The P.A.W.S. (Peers Advocating Wellness Successfully) group is worried for your safety and encourages everyone to Buckle Up!
Motor vehicle accidents are the number one killer of Americans up to age 34. Being thrown from the moving vehicle is the number one cause of death in these accidents. Staying inside the car is one’s best chance of survival. This is a safety belt’s job. They are designed to keep you inside the vehicle, where there is room to live.
In 2003, 73 percent of the passenger vehicle occupants who were in a motor vehicle accident and who were restrained survived. Of those who were not restrained, only 26 percent survived. If you know this and still choose not to wear a safety belt, you may need to stop and ask yourself, “why not?”
Reasons for not wearing a safety belt:
“I’m only going to the shopping center.” Actually, this is the best time to wear a safety belt, since 80 percent of traffic fatalities occur within 25 miles of home and under 40 miles an hour.
“I won’t be in an accident: I’m a good driver.” Your good driving record will certainly help you avoid accidents. But even if you’re a good driver, a bad driver may still hit you.
“I’ll just brace myself.” Even if you had the split-second timing to do this, the force of the impact would shatter the arm or leg you used to brace yourself.
“I’m afraid the belt will trap me in the car.” Statistically, the best place to be during an accident is in your car. If you’re thrown out of the car, you’re 25 times more likely to die. And if you need to get out of the car in a hurry – as in the extremely tiny percent of accidents involving fire or submergence – you can get out a lot faster if you haven’t been knocked unconscious inside your car.
“I don’t need a belt – I’ve got an airbag.” Lucky you! An air bag increases the effectiveness of a safety belt by 40 percent. But air bags were never meant to be used in place of safety belts, since they don’t protect against side impacts at all.
Georgia’s safety belt law states that any individual aged 18 or older must wear a safety belt when in the front driver seat or front passenger seat of a vehicle. Failure to do so results in a fine of $15. Georgia is one of 21 primary state laws. This means law enforcement can issue tickets based on observation alone, that is, no other violations of the law are necessary.
Safety belt usage is a very serious matter. Don’t become a statistic! Please buckle up! We want you back!
Sincerely,
Chaka McGruder
Peer Educator
P.A.W.S.
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Apr 21 2006. Filed under Opinion.
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