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
This week is National Seatbelt Week.
Beginning Jan. 1, the use of seat belts by front seat passengers became the law in Virginia. Since State Police reports indicate that highway deaths so far this year are down compared to the same period last year, apparently the law is saving lives.
What is distressing, however, is the accident reports which indicate that people involved in crashes are not wearing belts. We can’t help but wonder how many of those injuries would have been lessened, or even prevented, if seat belts had been worn.
Although Virginia’s law provides for a fine if motorists are discovered unbuckled, unfortunately the vehicle must have been stopped for another offense before a ticket can be issued for non-use of belts. That’s something which the legislature should address, changing the law to allow tickets for failure to buckle up, without another offense being involved. < The same tired argument is sure to be advanced by those who feel the seatbelt law is an invasion of the government into private lives: That the government has no business policing such activities.
To that we can only say, “Hogwash!” That argument is valid only as long as other people’s lives are not involved. In some cases, seatbelts allow the drived to stay in cohtrol of his vehicle after a collision, when an unbelted operator might be > bounced around and lose control. That means other motorists and pedestrians might be spared involvement in an accident.
And, the insurance payments made to cover the costs of injuries caused or aggravated because the occupants were not belted are covered by an increase ineveryone’s premiums, not just those involved in the crashes.
The law becomes even more important as the state raises the speed limit on rural interstates to 65 mph beginning tomorrow. With higher speeds come more serious accidents, causing graver injuries. Seatbelt use will minimize the inevitable increase in injuries and deaths which will accompany increased speeds.
Seatbelts, in fact, do save lives. We urge our readers to • observe National Seatbelt Week not just this week, but every day of every year.
94.6%