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“Even for the best driver, who obeys all the traffic signs and laws, you can't control what other drivers do. Wearing a seat belt is one thing you control.” ~ Jay Ofsanik, safety press officer for PennDOT.

We have all heard stories about auto accidents in which drivers and passengers are seriously injured or die because they were not wearing a seatbelt. With so much proof that seatbelts save lives, why are there still numerous people who do not wear seatbelts?

Two lives were lost in two separate auto accidents over the weekend in Lewisburg, PA. In one accident, the driver was not wearing his seatbelt when his Jeep went up on an embankment then struck a utility pole. A passenger who was wearing a seatbelt was transported to the hospital in serious condition. In a second accident, the driver of a Subaru was struck by a pick-up truck when he attempted to make a turn into traffic. The driver of the Subaru died at the scene; he was not wearing a seatbelt. A passenger in his vehicle suffered minor injuries; he was wearing a seatbelt. The driver and three passengers in the pick up truck were all wearing seatbelts and escaped with minor injuries.

Although the cause of both accidents is still under investigation, the fatalities may have been avoided if both men were wearing seatbelts. Seatbelts are the last line of defense for preventing death and injury. It is sometimes difficult to fathom that a piece of fabric can be a vital difference between life and death, but the evidence is overwhelming that a seat belt is your first, best defense against injury and death in an auto accident. So, why despite the risk of serious injuries or death, do many people still neglect to wear seat belts?

Protect your life and the lives of your passengers by requiring everyone to buckle up before starting the vehicle.

Mark Bello has thirty-five years experience as a trial lawyer and thirteen years as an underwriter and situational analyst in the lawsuit funding industry. He is the owner and founder of Lawsuit Financial Corporation which helps provide legal finance cash flow solutions and consulting when necessities of life litigation funding is needed by a plaintiff involved in pending, personal injury, litigation. Bello is a Justice Pac member of the American Association for Justice, Sustaining and Justice Pac member of the Michigan Association for Justice, Member of Public Justice and Public Citizen, Business Associate of the Florida, Mississippi, Connecticut, Texas, and Tennessee Associations for Justice, and Consumers Attorneys of California, member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Michigan and the Injury Board.

One Comment

  1. Gravatar for Vern Dennis
    Vern Dennis

    I never crank the engine unless all passengers have their seat belts fastened. My Dad installed them in our car in 1963 (before they were legally required).

    The wisdom of wearing seat belts hit home when I witnessed an auto accident while standing outside a Tenneco gas station. The driver was ejected through the windshield - I don't know if he survived or not, but it wasn't a pretty sight

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