It is rather shocking to us that anyone would choose to forgo wearing a seatbelt in a vehicle. Even the greatest driver of all time cannot stop someone else from involving them in a collision. According to Alberta Transportation, research and collision investigations show seatbelts increase the chances of survival in a collision by 50 per cent. Almost 40 per cent of drivers and passengers killed in collisions were not wearing their seatbelt at the time of the crash. It takes just a minimal amount of effort to click that seatbelt in place and increase your odds of surviving a collision – so why are some people opting to risk their lives by skipping this procedure? According to Alberta RCMP, from 2012 to 2016, 341 deaths were attributed to people not buckling up. That’s 341 families who had to open the door to a police officer telling them their loved one had died because he or she chose to not use a seatbelt. That’s 341 families who have to celebrate events and holidays with someone missing from their table. There is also the impact on the first responders involved, who work hard in an attempt to save someone who was unwilling to protect themselves, and the police officers, who have to endure the visible agony when they're forced to tell a family their loved one is deceased. Please, put real value on your life – and recognize the value it has to those you love – and buckle up. It’s up to you to chose prevention over chance.
