This is something that really annoys me because it is such a simple thing to do and it can quite literally save your life! And yet so many people don't wear their seat belts, and worryingly it is often children who have their parents in the car.
The legal side of wearing a seat belt is that the driver is responsible for everyone in the car under the age of 14 to be properly fitted with a safely belt, and a £500 fine can be given if you are caught without your seat belt on but no points on your licence. The statistics are in support of wearing a seat belt, "seat belts save 15,000 lives in the U.S. every year, every 13 minutes someone dies in a traffic accident, seat belts reduce the risk of fatal injury by 45 percent".
So the law is clear on it and so are the statistics. Every new car has a three-point seat belt for every seat, rather than a lap belt for the middle seat. So what are people's excuses?! ""It's uncomfortable", "It's a hassle", "I just don't remember"." I personally think these are pathetic excuses and people are just stupid for saying them. When it comes to children I think there is a certain amount of them knowing that they are supposed to and so by not putting it on they are being rebellious.
I know that on school trips on the coach we never used to wear our seat belts, the teacher would come down the aisle saying has everyone got their seat belt on but as soon as they'd gone to sit down we'd take it off again. Shockingly American school buses are not fitted with seat belts at all and they are only just starting to debate having them fitted, but amazingly COSTA (the Connecticut School Transport Association) are concerned that students wouldn't be able to get out safely in an emergency, and this is after a school boy was thrown over three seats and consequently died in a collision because he didn't have a belt.
So why don't adults wear them? Someone has asked "What is the main reason people don't wear seat belts?" and the answers coming from the people who don't are to do with not wanting to follow orders from the government, feeling restricted and uncomfortable, not thinking they need one, being too fat, having medical issues and freedom of choice. I can understand that sometimes when something is uncomfortable we don't want to wear it, like woolen jumpers, or when we feel restricted in a tight top we want to take it off, and everyone likes to feel like they have a choice, but really we have don't have a full free choice on anything! But if I knew that wearing a tight woolen jumper that I had to wear would safe my life I think, probably begrudgingly, I would wear it!
I don't think I'll ever understand why people don't make this simple choice but it seems that each side of the argument has very strong views, and I'd like to say that it only effects them but the truth be told it doesn't. Even if you are wearing a seat belt but the person behind you is not then the force of them hitting the back of your chair could kill you or if it is someone under the age of 14 who thinks it's cool not to wear a seat belt then they could cost the driver a lot of money, the aftermath your accident could ruin the lives of your family and friends when it could have just been a bit of a shock for you. The list could go on! Basically not wearing a seat belt is selfish, stupid and irresponsible!
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