Seat Belt Seatbelt
Seat Belt Seatbelt
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When In Doubt, Use The Seatbelt
Seatbelts, sometimes known as safety belts, first graced automobiles in 1949. It was Volvo which first manufactured and introduced seatbelts as part of car safety. It was then followed by American manufacturers Nash and Ford and make seatbelt use an option for car owners. It was in 1958 that Swedish manufacturer Saab made the seatbelt a standard feature. To date, there are eight types of seatbelts in the market. They are the lap-type which are commonly found in aircrafts; sash, which goes over the shoulder; the more popular three-point harness which are commonly used in cars; the built-in-seat (BIS) which is first used in the 1990 Mercedez-Benz SL; and the five-point, six-point and seven-point harnesses which are used in race cars and aerobatic aircraft and experimental production seat belts.
Seatbelts’ engineering has proven its worth and that is supported by several tests, experiments and researches. However, even as seatbelts are known to be lifesavers in head-on-collision accidents, still there are motorists who disregard this safety standard. According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), only 83% of motorists observe this safety rule.
This is a major concern with the Missouri transportation officials. It has been an issue for years to pass a law with a stronger seatbelt legislation. However, lawmakers have failed to act again. And $16 million federal money that could have been appropriated for roadway safety improvements appears to be lost.
With Jefferson City’s inaction regarding the issue, cities have taken the matter into their own hands. Nixa passed primary seatbelt law just several days ago, and the latest city to pass the same law is Willard. It was Mayor Jamie Schoolcraft, who worked as paramedic for 18 years who broke the tie with a 4-3 vote. And it is just right for someone who have witnessed and responded to many accidents to support this new law.
It is also good to know that Willard High School students also supported this stronger seatbelt campaign. Two members of their Student Government Association attended the meeting Tuesday and they supported the drive. It is through this new law that students and all motorists would be safe and not suffer the same fate of those involved in recent accident involving three unbelted Willard High School students on a rainy October 8 crash.
This new law will now give police officers to pull over vehicles for seatbelt violation, thus ending the debate on liberty in buckling up those seat belts. Incidentally, there is another law that could save you from those hard-hitting crashes. Confer with Lexington law and their Lexington law information to avoid those financial crashes.
About the Author
Irene Miller is a teacher. She loves words and plays with them.