The bottom line: Seat belts save lives

As I approached the median and saw the car on its roof, I immediately feared the outcome: no survivors.

I get asked all the time: “Do I really need to wear my seat belt?”

And I answer: “Do you really need to make it home safely?”

Seat belts save lives — that’s the bottom line. Do you need to wear it? Yes, you do. In the past five years in Montana, nearly 90 percent of the people who died after being ejected in a crash weren’t wearing seat belts. On the contrary, 344,448 lives nationwide have been saved since 1975 due to seat-belt use.

I have seen first-hand what happens when a person is ejected from a vehicle in a crash. It’s a situation no one ever wants to be a part of.

Of course, most everyone thinks of themselves as a good driver, perhaps even with NASCAR skills. But even with Jeff Gordon-like reflexes and driving experience, distractions, unpredictable hazards and other drivers pose considerable threats to safety. Crashes happen every day.

“But I’m just driving a few blocks!” When looking at statistics, distance is one of the worst excuses anyone can have for not wearing a seat belt. Seventy-five percent of all serious motor vehicle crashes occur within 25 miles of a person’s home. It is just as important to buckle up driving around town, as it is to buckle up when on the highway. Even low-speed crashes can result in fatalities.

When you get in the car and make that split-second decision to not put your seat belt on, you are making a decision that has an enormous ripple effect. The occupants of a vehicle are not the only victims of a car crash. The effects are felt by family members, friends, and emergency responders, as well.

As the summer days are approaching, the annual Click It or Ticket Campaign gets underway. Extra law enforcement will be on the roads. While the campaign does focus on traffic enforcement, it’s about much more than just writing tickets. It’s about saving lives and encouraging safer driving habits.

I urge you all to take that extra step and buckle up. Two seconds could save your life.

Loss, of Ulm, is president of the Montana Emergency Medical Services Association.