 The following article appeared in a recent edition of The Fairview Post, and we thought it was definitely worth reproducing here. Did you know that in 1999, in Alberta, collision-involved seatbelt users had a much lower injury rate (15.6%) than those not using restraints (46.7%)? Non-users were three times as likely as restraint users to be injured*. *Alberta Infrastructure, Driver Safety & Research Section - Alberta Traffic Collision Statistics 1999  The Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP), beginning April 20 in Fairview, will aim to make people aware of the importance of wearing seat belts and using car seats. At the same time, the RCMP will hand out tickets to those not complying with the seat belt laws. The RCMP, in partnership with the Alberta Centre for Injury Control and Research, Mission Possible, regional health authorities and provincial traffic safety partners, have identified that one of the leading public safety problems on rural Alberta roads is the non-use of seat belts and child restraints. In fact, surveys have shown that only 69.2% of people who drive country roads are wearing seatbelts, compared to 87% of city drivers. "Those numbers are very troubling," said RCMP Staff Sergeant Steve MacDonald, 'K' Division Provincial Traffic Co-ordinator. "Unbuckled occupants are twice as likely to be killed or critically injured in the event of a collision."  Unbuckled victims cost Albertans through increased health care, insurance and emotional costs."These collisions exact a heavy emotional toll on the officers, as well, who have to investigate the collision and serve notification of death," said Sergeant Gerry Tonn of the the Fairview RCMP detachment. "Every officer on the job dreads going to a family to notify them of a death, especially when it was absolutely preventable." The excuses for not wearing seat belts just don't cut it, according to an RCMP report. Following are some common excuses and the facts that counter them.
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The fact is, injuries are a burden on your family and all Albertans who end up paying in terms of increased health care, insurance and social costs. No individual has the right to make others pay.