Buckle up: Officers’ new campaign not only reason to use seat belts

The evidence is everywhere. Seat belts save lives.

In fact, if you look hard enough, you probably have a story in your own family of someone who survived a crash because he or she took the time to buckle up.

So why do so many still resist using the safety devices that have stopped death or serious injury so many times?

The reasons abound, but the bottom line is this is a habit you cannot afford to ignore.

Over the next couple of weeks, law enforcement officers will be watching to see if drivers and passengers are using their seat belts — and they say if you are caught without yours, you can expect a ticket.

But as we begin the busy Memorial Day travel season, the reason to make sure you buckle up is not just that there is a fine involved if you don’t. The reason to use the safety device is simply that there is a family back home who would miss you if you were gone.

Seat belts might not be able to prevent crashes, but they have been known to be the difference between life or death. Taking a second to click it could keep you around if you are in a serious accident. And that is worth all the wrinkled clothing in the world to people who love you.

So buckle up and slow down this weekend. It is worth the extra effort and time to make sure you will be around for another Memorial Day.

Published in Editorials on May 24, 2007 11:08 AM