Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 4 · column 1 of 3 · from the scan, no model involved
Mandatory safety belts
Progressive legislation will be sent to the Virginia General Assembly this session. J.Samuel Glasscock (D-Suffolk) will again introduce a bill to require citizens to wear their safety belts in Virginia.
On Monday Governor Gerald Baliles told the members of the house and senate chambers that he wants to sign this safety belt legislation into law.
People who are opposed to mandatory ssdety belt use laws usually have one battle cry — it’s yet another law that limits our •freedom.
This is pure nonsense.
Speed limits limit our freedom. Driver’s licenses limit our freedom. Stop lights limit our freedom. Yielding the right of way limits our freedom. Parking restrictions limit our freedom. Driving while sober limits our freedom.
In a civilized society, we do have limitations of freedom. On the highway these limitations save lives.
Each year in the United States there are 20,000 front-seatoccupant fatalities. There are two million injuries in the same category. Safety belts, according to studies, reduce the occurrence of injuries and fatalities by about 50 percent.
Mandatory safety belt laws work. More than 30 countries including, Great Britain, France, West Germany, Japan, and most of the Canadaian provinces have mandatory safety belt laws.
In Sweden, where this kind of legislation was introduced, severe and fatal car injuries were reduced by 45 percent for drivers and 67 percent for passengers.
Safety belts protect occupants from ejection, collisions from the side and rear and against second and third collisions. Airbags do not help in these kinds of accidents. Safety belts do.
We urge you to write those representing you in Richmond. Let them know you support this law.
If you do not currently wear your safety belt, we urge you to get in the habit the next time you get in the car.
The Virginia Auto Safety Alliance (VASA) coordinates and supports the efforts of citizens and groups working at the local level for a safety belt use law. To get involved, to start saving lives, write them at — 1011 East Main Street, Suite 212, Richmond, Virginia 23219.
94.5%