by babyfever25
I don't know if it's just me but I feel like there are more teenage deaths due to car/motorcycle crashes each year, especially because a lot of them not only speed, but don't put on their seat belts, either. When I was in high school, at least 2 people from my school died in some kind of crash. Luckily, my graduating class was fortunate enough to not have lost anyone throughout our high school years; however, we did lose someone last year because of a motorcycle/car collision. Of course, he decided to ride his father's motorcycle without a helmet and a license. I'm not going to go on a rant about the subject, but when I picked up the NY Times newspaper and read
this article, I felt inspired to write a post about it.
A chunk of the article states:
"Motor-vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among adolescents in the United States, accounting for nearly 5,000 fatalities and over 400,000 injuries annually among teens 16 and older. The crash rate for teen drivers is four times higher than for older drivers... Among girls, 67 percent wore seat belts while driving, but the number dropped to 46 percent when girls moved out of the driver seat. For boys, 52 percent buckled up as drivers, but the number dropped to 38 percent in the passenger seat."It's quite interesting to me to see the percentage of people wearing seat belts drop when they are in the passenger seat. Why? Last time I checked, just because you're a passenger in a car, it doesn't mean that you cannot die or get seriously injured in a car crash. Has the rule changed and no one told me about it? And I guess I give credit to the 52% of boys and 67% of girls who buckle up as drivers, but what about the rest?
Ever since I was a little girl, my parents have always taught me that before the keys go into the ignition, my seat belt must be fastened first. Unfortunately, my mother doesn't always buckle up while driving, and it annoys me until no end, but there's not much that I can do about it. I just hope that people, especially teenagers, will be smart enough and take 5 seconds out of their lives (not to bash on the teenagers) and buckle up, as well as refrain from unnecessary speeding.
Do you buckle up when you drive? How about when you're a passenger? What lessons should children be taught about car safety?
Comments (13)
The statistics don't lie. Several years ago, there was a huge tragedy at my friend's church - 4 high schoolers killed in one car accident, 3 of them from that church. They were going 70 on a local street and lost control trying to go around a sharp curve (I think it's marked with a speed limit of 25mph). It was so heartbreaking, and caused so much pain in the community.
I realize that kids will be kids, and that there will be many who don't listen to the advice their parents give them when they finally get their license. However, as parents, we must do what we can. Personally, I don't plan on buying a car for my child when she's in high school. Even in college, if the choice was between dorming and commuting by car everyday, I think I'd choose dorming for her. Until she's an adult, I would probably also hesitate before allowing her to go on a long drive with other kids her age. It might sound overprotective, and who knows what I'll actually do when the time comes, but that's how I feel at the moment.
My high school generally had someone have a serious wreck the week of graduation. For my class, that wreck was taken care of on Monday, courtesy of yours truly. Luckily, my wreck wasn't too serious. The car was totaled, but the only injuries were a cut on one passenger, and a minor concussion on the other. I had no injuries.
There are two reasons that wreck wasn't as serious as it could have been- the other driver was not speeding, and we were all wearing seat belts. Even so, it is a terrible feeling to look over and see your best friend bleeding, and your other best friend passed out, knowing that it was only through the grace of God that it wasn't worse, and that it was your fault.
Traffic laws are there for a reason.
My 16 yr old sister was killed last winter one icy morning, she was buckled up. Soon after she died three youth were also killed when they crashed into a tree after speeding. Not long after that another young guy crossed a dangerous intersection. My heart kept breaking over and over for my loss and all these others! It is something that seems endless!
I buckle up every time I get in the car, regardless of how far I'm going. What I've had to tell my younger cousins is that they can't sit in the front seat. It irritates the heck out of me that their parents tote them around in the car without car seats or will "treat" them to sitting in the front. They're supposed to be sitting in the back for a reason!
Putting my seat belt on is such a habit that I have had people laugh at me for putting it on when we are only going 20 feet (literally!). I am convinced that I would be dead if I hadnt been wearing my seat belt in May when a bus caused me to total my car on a busy highway. That is why I dont understand the 'it will never happen to me' attitude. Sometimes it is the other person's fault and you have NO control over it. I see it as a protection from the other idiots out there.
Too many people to count died in car accidents while I was in high school. And yet, people still didnt seem to get it... I really dont understand what is so 'cool' about not wearing your seatbelt anyway!
I always wear my seatbelt. I'm not sure if it's in the same in other states, that it's the law to have your seatbelt on when you're in a moving vehicle (I'm in CA). When we were vacationing in Florida (in the 90s), backseat passengers didn't have to wear them. My friend, who was in her mid 20s at the time, never wears her seatbelt unless she's driving. One day her friend made her wear her seatbelt and they were in an accident. She said that was the reason she didn't fly out of the car. I'm sure she wears it all the time now.
When they first came out it seemed such a hassle and so uncomfortable to use them. Now it is automatic regardless of where I sit. They are the law here because of the amount of unneccessary deaths and injuries when not used. Get the little ones into the habit from the start and they will keep it up when older.
Now we also have a new law that all children under 40lbs and up to 9 years(or older if they are under this weight) of age have to be buckled into a car seat or booster in the back with major fines if not while in a car.
i'm the same as you. ever since i was young, my parents taught me to put on the seat belt before the car was started. i've been doing it for so long now, that when i drive i always buckle up before i start the car, even if i'm going right down the street....and i can never drive without wearing a belt because i dont feel right without it.
a lot of people around here dont wear seat belts because they say that it actually can hurt you by keeping you trapped in the car. to me, that's crazy talk because even though there is a possibility of that happening, the chance of it saving your life in a regular crash is much higher. thats why i think everyone should keep a special seatbelt cutter, in case you go into the water or you have a wreck and the car's on fire and you're stuck...
i am constantly on my boyfriend about wearing his seatbelt...otherwise he will only wear it when he's on the interstate. and right before he turns into his street, he'll take his seat belt off because it makes him look "uncool"...i just shake my head at him....
no matter what no one says, i'm an aspiring nurse and ive watched countless trauma: life in the er shows to know that out of all really serious accidents, 9 times out of 10, the only people who survive are the ones who wore a seat belt. they'll walk away with just a scratch while the person who was sitting right next to them is in critical condition or a coma because they didnt have on a belt and were ejected.
I buckle up always. I feel weird when I'm not buckled up...like I'm sliding around in the seat more or something...it's weird and it bothers me...thus, if I do forget (usually talking to my passenger or the driver while getting into a car), I quickly remember and do it. I lost my first boyfriend in a car accident (even though he was buckled up; hit by a drunk driver...a repeat offender at that...whom was released last year after a lousy 7 years of "good behavoir" to return to his family and loved ones. *sucks teeth* Yeah...let me know when we're unleashing the rants...) and it scares me to read about all the people my age that have died in car accidents in our newspaper.
Heh...I had to apologize to my mom today for being "morbid" because when I set up everything with the house and my secondary checking account to be used for the house, I made sure that she would still have access to everything incase something did happen to me...she could still maintain things and not get stuck waiting on probate crap to clear. I can't help it. I read about these 20-somethings that just died in one car crash this past week, right around the corner from my house a 24 year old guy was killed on his motorcycle (not wearing a helmet...I'm told it was not pretty...) and I see people do some really stupid things on the road. I, of course, hope for the best, but I also plan for the worst.
i have always been taught to wear my seat belt, and i do when i'm with my parents. but ever since i've got my license i don't wear it anymore. it's a bother to me.
i've had friends die while wearing one and while not wearing one. and at the age of 17, it just seems like why even wear it when i could die anyways? my friend was strangled by his and it killed him.
i do speed and i don't wear a seat belt but i still drive carefully if that makes any sense. i just don't see the point in wearing one. it's a law here-in ky- but i'll pay my fines if i have to.
I always wear my seatbelt (... if I don't, there is an alarm in the car that goes off every 2 minutes... but I would anyway).
i'm seventeen and i've had my license for about six months and my parents wrote up a huge contract that i had to sign about car rules, etc... one of them is that everyone in my car has to be buckled. i always buckle... i don't really understand why you wouldn't (except on looong car trips when youre trying to sleep... but thats another issue). i have had friends get in and not buckle but i make them... or seriously, they can get out. but they like when i drive them, so it's all good in my car :]
i always try to buckle whenever i travel in my mom´s car, although sometimes she doesn´t do it. where i live lots of teenagers have been killed cuz they don fasten their seatbelts, and to make matters worse, they´re also drunk. that´s why i´m really afraid of learning to drive, although i really do want to a motorcicly when i´m older (yeah, i know that i have to wear a helmet and all that stuff).