Keep Your Seat Belts Fastened

Seat belts save lives and prevent injuries on the road and in the air.

The Detroit Free Press: 'Significant' turbulence on Delta flight sends dozens to the hospital

The people injured in the turbulence, which as recounted in the article was indeed severe, with 25 people injured severely enough they needed to be taken to a hospital.  Those severely injured were the ones not wearing their seat belts.

In short, if you're seated on a plane or on the road, keep your seat belt fastened while the vehicle is moving.

Seatbelts Save Lives, But Only If Actually Used

Failing to wear them doesn't.

The Detroit Free Press: Crash on I-94 in Harper Woods kills 4 people; toddler survives

About 1 a.m. Monday morning, a 2006 Buick SUV with five people inside was traveling at a high rate of speed when the driver lost control while trying passing another vehicle and struck the 8 Mile overpass in Harper Woods, according the the release. Four adults between the ages of 18 and 25 were instantly killed in the crash, MSP said. The release also stated that none of the adults were wearing a seat belt.

None of the adults were wearing a seat belt, and both males were apparently ejected from the vehicle during the crash. The vehicle managed to cross three lanes of oncoming traffic before hitting the overpass bridge and the only survivor was a toddler that was properly buckled in.

Not much good happens when you're speeding along unbelted at one in the morning. Your guess is as good as mine as to whether alcohol was a factor in reducing judgment and ability.

A stupid waste on all counts.

That's Going To Be Quite The Annoyance For Michigan's 8-Year-Olds

Michigan is about to pass a law changing the rules for car seat and booster seat usage.

As it currently stands, kids must be in a booster seat until age 8 or they reach 4"9 in height.

The proposed law as written changes it to 57 inches tall or less than 10 years of age which means 8 and 9 year-olds must be in a booster seat.

Considering Leah is 8 and just got out of having to be in a booster seat, having to go back to using it for a couple more years will not be pleasing.

Funnily enough, while the bill proclaims it is being done for the safety of the children, it makes it only a secondary offense to fail to have them in such a seat or if up to 16 years old, wearing a seat-belt.  As such, you can't be pulled over and given a ticket for solely not obeying this proposed law, but it can be added on to other driving offenses.  One would think if it is for safety -- of children no less -- that they would make it a primary offense.

The bill also does something that's rather rare -  in Sec 710d.(15) it painstakingly  points out that the intent of the law is not to harass motorists. Harassing 8-year-olds and their parents who will have to force them back into booster seats, not so much.

Seat Belts Save Lives

In Detroit, two drivers on the exact same night serve as examples of why the use of seat belts is a darn good idea.

Fail to do so, and you run the risk of premature ejection and death.

The Detroit News: 2 Detroit motorists ejected in fatal crashes

Authorities are investigating two fatal crashes overnight in which drivers were ejected because they weren’t wearing seat belts, according to the Michigan State Police

Both drivers were on highways at the time they ended up wrecking, and lost control of their vehicles.

That seat belt not only stops you from getting thrown out of your car, but increases the chance you can stay in control of your car to prevent a wreck instead of being thrown around it when you lose control.

Don't die of the dumbs, wear a seat belt.

This must be a rhetorical headline: Detroit Free Press - How to avoid state seat belt crackdown

Umm, how about the blindingly obvious -- Wear your seatbelt?

Kind of self answering don't you think?

Apparently this is noted by the Detroit Free Press seatbelt inspection enforcement / checkpoint week in Michigan.

I saw one such zone this morning on Orchard Lake by Telegraph on the way to court this morning. Other than really slowing traffic by having a nice sign up saying "Seatbelt Enforcement Zone" (as if you don't have to wear them elsewhere)and an officer standing outside his patrol car diligently looking into everyone's window and presumably radioing seatbelt scofflaws to officers further up the way, it wasn't all that much.

Given that wearing a seatbelt is a major life saving device it only makes sense to wear it when you're driving, not to mention its required - outside the seatbelt enforcement zones and within.