Safety belts important in saving lives

To the editor:

An unfortunate job of newspapers is reporting about the tragic crashes that occur on Missouri's highways. Many times newspapers also note that drivers or passengers killed in traffic accidents were not wearing their safety belts. This fact makes deaths on our highways even more tragic. On numerous occasions, those deaths could have been prevented.

Of those killed on Missouri roadways, approximately 70 percent failed to wear their safety belts. Conversely, motorists in automobiles who buckle up are 45 percent more likely, and pickup passengers 60 percent more likely, to survive a crash. Each time a newspaper reports a fatality involving someone not wearing a safety belt, this point is made tragically, but emphatically.

While my wish would be that newspapers never again have to do a story regarding a traffic fatality, I know it is likely to happen. On those occasions, I encourage newspapers to point out when the people involved were not wearing their safety belts. By doing so, newspapers help emphasize the importance of always buckling up, which could be a life-or-death decision.

PETE K. RAHN, Director, Missouri Department of Transportation, Jefferson City, Mo.