The evidence is abundant and clear: seat belts work
The southern-central part of the state has been hit hard by a series of tragic auto accidents this holiday season, the most recent of which occurred in Derry on New Year’s Eve, when two teens were seriously injured when their car ran off the road and hit a tree.
Often, auto accidents carry lessons that, if learned by others, could save lives, reduce the severity of injuries or prevent some accidents altogether.
The clear lesson in the Derry accident is that seat belts should always be worn. The two teens serious hurt in Derry were unbuckled. A third teen in the car who was buckled walked away with minor injuries – an amazing fact judging from photographs of the crash.
Obviously, seatbelts aren’t perfect. Even when used in today’s cars, which are engineered to be the safest ever, seat belts can’t save all lives or prevent all serious injuries, but they can make a big difference.