Seatbelts: Why Wear Them?

Copyright © 2007 RealPolice.net

There's no doubt that the cost of tickets for seatbelt violations are going up. And as a Traffic Officer, it never ceases to amaze me how many people still don't wear their seatbelts. Especially with so many government grants specifically for police departments to create enforcement zones. This means police officers are actually paid overtime wages to enforce safety belt violations. Not many officers are going to turn down what is considered easy overtime.

But the overtime in and of itself really isn't the point. The point is, with so many reasons for a person to wear their seatbelt, why not just wear it? Is it a pride thing? Is it to rebel against police officers? I believe the reason is, people who haven't seen bad accidents or know of situations first hand simply don't want to change their ways.

As a Traffic Officer, it never ceases to amaze me how many people still don't wear their seatbelts. Especially with so many government grants specifically for police departments to create enforcement zones. This means police officers are actually paid overtime wages to enforce safety belt violations. Not many officers are going to turn down what is considered easy overtime.

But the overtime in and of itself really isn't the point. The point is, with so many reasons for a person to wear their seatbelt, why not just wear it? Is it a pride thing? Is it to rebel against police officers? I believe the reason is, people who haven't seen bad accidents or know of situations first hand simply don't want to change their ways.

I can remember when my Mother was in a car accident when I was only about 11 years old. She wasn't wearing her seatbelt, and at the last second a truck pulled out in front of her. Police officers sent to investigate determined that she was going the speed limit of about 55 MPH, and never had a chance to hit her brakes. The doctors said they don't know how she survived the crash. The car was totaled, the steering wheel was broke and she was hospitalized for several months. One of the doctors said her coat (that she was wearing) was the only thing that they could think helped her survive.

As a kid, and looking back now, it made me realize how different my life would have been if my Mother would have died. I would have been moved to another state to my Father's side (who really couldn't support us, my sister and I), or possibly living with an Aunt or Uncle. The point I'm trying to make is, my Mother's decision to not wear her seatbelt that day could have had long term consequences that even she didn't realize. She was lucky. We were lucky. She does have permanent knew damage as a result and can only be on her feet for so many hours a day.

So if the fines of seatbelt laws, the risk of dying or incurring serious injury to the point of possible amputation or becoming handicap don't convince you, consider the implications of what a serious car accident could do, or affect I should say, your family for the rest of their lives.

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