TRANSPORTATION MATTERS for IOWA

Message Monday - Awwwww snap ... your seat belt


4-16 message mondayPeople are fickle. Even when you know something is good for you, you can come up with excuses not to do it. For example, we all know exercise and eating healthy food is good for us, but it’s easy to end up watching a game on TV and eating a pizza instead.   

The same can be said for wearing a seat belt. Seat belts have been required to be installed in vehicles in the United States since Jan. 1, 1968. Mandates for using them was left up to the states. But now, every state except Vermont enforces the use of seat belts by adults. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates more than 15,000 lives are saved each year because driver and passengers were bucked up.

Even with those laws in place and the knowledge that seat belts save lives, people come up with all kinds of excuses not to wear them.

  1. Seat belts wrinkle my clothes.
  2. I don’t need to, I have airbags.
  3. It’s uncomfortable.
  4. I’ve heard of people trapped in a burning car who couldn’t unfasten their belt.
  5. My parents never wore them.
  6. It should be my choice. I don’t believe there should be a law requiring me to wear them.
  7. I’m a good driver.

Even kids know why you should buckle up - https://youtu.be/xtpCvOsTS6k

For 2018, there have been 72 fatalities reported. That’s an increase of six since last Monday. To see statistics published daily by the Office of Driver Services, go to the daily fatality report at https://www.iowadot.gov/mvd/stats/daily.pdf

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