People Who Don't Wear Seat Belts Are Taking Huge Risks
By: Jamie Kuras
Updated: February 17, 2011
ODESSA -- It's unanimous. Everybody wears a seat belt. At least the people I talked to say they do.
They are part of the majority of residents who feel that seat belts prevent injury if they were to get in to an accident.
"I feel safer and now I'm so used to it," said Walmart shopper Mel Kemp. "I feel uncomfortable without it,"
But what about the people who don't wear them?
I spoke with a few who didn't want to be known but they said they didn't like them because they were uncomfortable.
Seat belts are the single most effective traffic safety device for preventing death and injury. And it's as easy as pulling down on the strap and clicking it in.
In a 48 hour period this week, three different accidents have occurred with people who were not wearing a seat belt. All those people were ejected from their vehicle, and 68-year-old Jesse Alaniz died from his injuries. All of these accident victims could have been saved from injury or death if they had been wearing a seat belt.
"When the car is involved in a crash, essentially the car loses a lot of the energy," said Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at U.T.P.B. Forrest Flocker. "But the occupant, unless he's strapped in to that seat belt, is going to keep wanting to go forward and dissipate that energy into either the steering wheel or windshield or be thrown from the vehicle."
They are part of the majority of residents who feel that seat belts prevent injury if they were to get in to an accident.
"I feel safer and now I'm so used to it," said Walmart shopper Mel Kemp. "I feel uncomfortable without it,"
But what about the people who don't wear them?
I spoke with a few who didn't want to be known but they said they didn't like them because they were uncomfortable.
Seat belts are the single most effective traffic safety device for preventing death and injury. And it's as easy as pulling down on the strap and clicking it in.
In a 48 hour period this week, three different accidents have occurred with people who were not wearing a seat belt. All those people were ejected from their vehicle, and 68-year-old Jesse Alaniz died from his injuries. All of these accident victims could have been saved from injury or death if they had been wearing a seat belt.
"When the car is involved in a crash, essentially the car loses a lot of the energy," said Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at U.T.P.B. Forrest Flocker. "But the occupant, unless he's strapped in to that seat belt, is going to keep wanting to go forward and dissipate that energy into either the steering wheel or windshield or be thrown from the vehicle."
