WYOMING — How many times have you jumped in the car and thought: “I’m fine without my seatbelt, it’s just a quick trip into town.”
As the driver, you set the example. Buckle up and make sure everyone in the vehicle has their seatbelts on before you put it in drive.
We all think it’s a quick trip and nothing will happen. Would you be surprised if you knew the lack of seatbelt use is the leading cause of fatalities so far this year? Would you be surprised if family members told you their son, daughter, husband, or wife who was killed were always safety-conscious and wore their seatbelts? However, this one day they failed to buckle up.
“Troopers continue to educate the public about how much safer they are wearing a seatbelt if involved in an injury collision,” said Sgt. Jeremy Beck with the Wyoming Highway Patrol. “Seatbelts can and do save lives. We see it daily when investigating motor vehicle collisions.”
We all know someone who tries to create the argument about it being safer not to wear a seatbelt and the anomaly of someone living because they were unbuckled. This is the very rare exception. Statistics bear it out: You are safer buckled in.
Since the beginning of 2019, 38 lives have been lost on Wyoming highways; 17 of those motorists were not wearing a seatbelt.
Please, wear your seatbelt, never drive distracted, and slow down for hazardous road conditions. Remember when we lose a life its someone’s father, mother, son, daughter, or family member who is still expecting them to come home. The responsibility rests solely on each of us to create a safer Wyoming.
The Wyoming Highway Patrol is committed to ensuring public safety when traveling on Wyoming’s roadways, but they need everyone’s help to succeed.
