Seatbelt Safety

Click it or Ticket. 

Nationwide safety program that has focused on wearing your seatbelt.  We are all guilty, or have been in the past, of just running down the road so you don't wear your seatbelt.  I have to be honest as much as I think about the importance of wearing my seatbelt it often takes that annoying "beep" to remind me to put it on.

The click it or ticket campaign gave out over THREE million tickets over the last five years.  That is a ticket every other second.  (NHTSA)

 

Seat Belts: Your Single Most Effective Safety Step (Taken directly from the National Safety Council):

"Seat belts are the single most effective traffic safety device for preventing death and injury, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Wearing a seat belt can reduce the risk of crash injuries by 50 percent. They save lives:

• Seat belts saved more than 75,000 lives from 2004 to 2008.
• Forty-two percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2007 were unbelted. A 2009 NHTSA study estimates more than 1,600 lives could be saved and 22,000 injuries prevented if seat belt use was 90 percent in every state.

The good news is, in 2009, seat belt use averaged 88 percent nationally, compared with 69 percent in 1998. NHTSA attributes this increase to the "Click It or Ticket" campaign, originally created by the National Safety Council as part of its Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign.

Nationwide, seat belt use is higher than ever. Yet seat belt use remains lowest among young drivers. NHTSA also reports that, in 2007:

• Seat belt use was lower among blacks than any other race.
• Seat belt use was higher among females than males.
• Seat belt use was lower among drivers who drove alone than drivers with passengers." 

If you want to know what the laws are about seatbelts or child restraints in your state click here.

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Understanding tires and how they can keep you safe

Tire tread....it is what will keep you safe while driving.



According to the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration):

Tire Tread
"The tire tread provides the gripping action and traction that prevent your vehicle from slipping or sliding, especially when the road is wet or icy. In general, tires are not safe and should be replaced when the tread is worn down to 1/16 of an inch. Tires have built-in treadwear indicators that let you know when it is time to replace your tires. These indicators are raised sections spaced intermittently in the bottom of the tread grooves. When they appear "even" with the outside of the tread, it is time to replace your tires. Another method for checking tread depth is to place a penny in the tread with Lincoln's head upside down and facing you. If you can see the top of Lincoln's head, you are ready for new tires."

Tire Rotation
"Rotating tires from front to back and from side to side can reduce irregular wear (for vehicles that have tires that are all the same size). Look in your owner's manual for information on how frequently the tires on your vehicle should be rotated and the best pattern for rotation."

A Tire Rotation Example
For maximum mileage, rotate your tires every 5,000 miles. Follow correct rotation patterns. 

Picture provided by the NHTSA website

I understand the trouble it takes and the time it takes to check your tires....a whole 30 seconds on each one....allowing 15 seconds to move to the next one.....THREE whole minutes and a penny. This reminds me of "I don't want to wrinkle my clothes so I don't wear my seat belt" reasoning. Imagine how wrinkled your clothes get from a car accident...or worse yet how damaged they get if the First Responders have to cut them off you.

Bad  tires can cause injuries that will take longer than THREE seconds to recover from.  Let's imagine you check your tires once a month for the entire life you drive.  Starting at age 16 and going to the age of 80.  This is 64 years of driving at 36 minutes a YEAR of precautionary measures is ONLY 2304 minutes which is LESS than TWO days of your driving life.  Now, if car accident injuries only lasted two days I would say, "ah, not worth it."  BUT THEY DON'T!!!  Car accident injuries can last a lifetime of recovery, pain and suffering....not to mention the emotional distress that can be caused if a life is lost in this accident. You and everyone on the road deserves to be safe....and for less than two days in your driving life you can help this happen.

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