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Entry bubble Wear Your Seat Belt

By: Joanne | May 19, 2009 | Category: Travel

click it or ticket

Here’s a tip: wear your seat belt when you’re in the car this week, because the police are cracking down and ticketing people violating seat belt laws.

This week is the Click it or Ticket National Enforcement Mobilization Campaign. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, only 83 percent of Americans are using seat belts. What really surprised me was that the national data actually indicates that seat belt usage actually went down in many states between 2007 and 2008. I was also surprised to see that night time seat belt usage is significantly lower than day time usage.

I’m a big seat belt advocate. When I was a kid, my parents always insisted that I wear a seat belt in the car – they even got seat belts in the back seat when that was optional equipment. I started wearing seat belts when I was young, and I never stopped. I’ve been in 3 car accidents in my life, and I’m certain that each time my seat belt saved me from injury. I remember getting in the car with my cousin one day and scolding her for not wearing a seat belt. She told me that she didn’t like seat belts because they’re uncomfortable. “So’s a traumatic head injury!” I replied.

So once you get into the habit of wearing your seat belt this week, keep it up.  It’s one of the many little things you can do to help yourself and your loved ones stay safe and healthy.

| View Comments [5] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: belt   car   joanne   police   safety   seat   ticket  

Comments (5):

blue comment bubble Posted by CREDIT COMPANY THEIVES on May 19, 2009 at 11:09 PM EDT

Our government has not regulated Credit Card Companies from increasing interests rates and fees. It should be illegal to have interest rates over 15%. Citibank and others are robbing Americans and our government is rewarding them with our tax paying money, why?
We have laws that we have to wear seatbelts in automobiles so that we won't die. But we live with theives in banks continuing to steal from citizens that will die financially because of this wrecklessness and freedom to cause and inflict more damage.
It does not take a genius to see that these executives with no financial responsiblity to pay for their expenses are aware of what us average tax paying Americans are truly faced with.
Pull your heads our of the sand and live in our shoes, just for one month and see if it is truly acceptable. Our tax paying money is to help our countries economy not criminals or other countries. Mass production of Solar, Wind, and Water energies should be mandatory for all businesses and states to receive federal money.
God Bless America! United we Stand, Devided we Fall.
Yours truly the next American that will die from your carelessness!!

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blue comment bubble Posted by Yun-Mei Lin on May 20, 2009 at 12:54 AM EDT

I've always been a compulsive seat-belt wearer. I feel very naked without my seat-belt when the car is in motion. This safety habit was completely reinforced, when one evening in early 1999, I was hit by a drunk driver, head-on in a combined speed of 120 miles per hour or MORE!

I suffered a broken collar-bone where the seat-belt grabbed and held me back (as well as several broken ribs and toes) - but I think I'll keep the trade of my collar-bone for my life. The kids in the other car, the drunk-driver and his passengers were not so lucky. They were all killed on-site, with one young girl thrown from the car.

I will never go anywhere in a car without putting on a seat-belt.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Joanne on May 20, 2009 at 01:54 PM EDT

You're right - something needs to be done. This morning I read that the government is planning to create an organization that has the authority to protect consumers who use financial products like mortgages, credit cards and mutual funds. I hope this new organization really has the power and support it will need to make some big changes.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Joanne on May 20, 2009 at 01:58 PM EDT

What a tragic story - except the part where you weren't hurt too horribly. What a smart decision it was to put your seat belt on that night! That's why you always have to put it on as soon as you get in the car - you never know how your journey will end.

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blue comment bubble Posted by discountautoparts on June 25, 2009 at 01:49 PM EDT