Seat Belts SAVE Lives - it's not a cliche'

Fatal crash south of Neosho Wal-Mart - several years ago - victim was unbelted

The winter weather has been hard on all of us this past week.  As I watched the beauty of the falling snow, I was reminded of the danger to those driving. 

This took me back to the early 1990’s, when as a young police officer I came up on a horrific scene.  I was working in Neosho and patrolling the Crowder area.  It was after mid night. I came upon a vehicle upside down on the north side of D Highway, just west of Howard Bush Drive.

I jumped out of my police car to see if I could find out what happened to the people, in the car.  No one was inside.  I was so relieved, as I thought they had walked away.  As I used my radio to call my dispatcher, I heard the strangest noise.  A noise I will never forget.  I had never heard this sound before.  I won’t go into detail here, but it was the sound of someone dying.

I searched the darkness and came across a 19 year old man, from Miami, Oklahoma.  He could barley speak.  He had been ejected from the car.  As I waited for the ambulance, the young man told me to tell his Mom he loved her.  Those were the only words I could understand through his injuries and his mumbling, until just before the ambulance pulled up, he said; “I should’ve had my belt on.  Mom will be mad.”

I have never forgotten those words.  For nearly twenty years now, I have been investigating or responding to vehicle crashes.  The physics and dynamics of wrecks fascinate me.  Why is it one person will die in a 15 mile per hour crash; while another person will walk away from a 120 mile per hour crash?

I have spoken to kids and adults alike about the need, the necessity, of wearing seat belts.  For such a simple act (in my mind), it is one of the most controversial “intrusions” to many people.  I have heard “it’s Government over reaching and violating my right to choose” or “I am afraid I will burn up, in a crash, and be trapped by my belt”. 

I must admit, laws requiring seat belts do intrude on your right to choose.  I also must admit, some people do get trapped in burning vehicles.  BUT, (you knew there was a “but” coming hear didn’t you?), this is one law that is based in common sense. 

If I could promise you your child was going to be in an accident 30 minutes from now and there was absolutely nothing you could do to prevent the crash from happening, would you want them to have a seat belt on?  If you answered “yes” (like almost all people do), then no other argument against seat belts matters.

As for being in a vehicle that may catch on fire, that so rarely happens its not even worth considering.  I have personally investigated or been on the scene of more than 1,500 crashes and of those only one had people die in such a way.  However, many others have died in these same crashes whom, I whole heartedly believe would have survived – if they had just made it CLICK!!!  Stop making excuses and BUCKLE UP!!!!