SEAT BELT DEFIANCE IS COSTLY

Motorists who refuse to wear seat belts cost us all. This fact was confirmed by figures released recently by St. Francis Medical Center.

Hospital officials have kept track of uncompensated trauma care from motorists without seat belts or health insurance. These patients amassed unpaid bills of more than $320,000 from July 1, 1990, to June 30, 1991. In comparison, motorists without health care insurance who did wear seat belts accounted for more than $60,000 in uncompensated health care.

That's a cost all people with health insurance pay whether we wear seat belts or not.

These statistics clearly underscore the importance that everyone should wear seat belts. For thing, it's the law. Also, studies confirm that unprotected motorists typically sustain more severe injuries in accidents.

Progress has been made in Cape Girardeau - with about 60 percent of motorists using seat belts, according to the Community Traffic Safety Program. But there's more work to be done.

We all have a stake in seat belt usage. Uncompensated health care costs us all in terms of higher charges that hospitals must levy. Buckling up could help rein in such charges.