Tougher seat-belt laws save lives

To the editor:

Too often when we read about people killed in tragic car crashes, the news story contains the following sentence" "The passengers were not wearing safety belts." Our sympathies go to the friends and families these people left behind. What a heartbreaking loss to bear. We can only imagine what the outcome might have been had these victims been wearing their seat belts.

Statistics show drivers have a 1 in 39 chance of being killed in a car crash if they're not wearing their seat belts. The odds drop to 1 in 1,108 if they are.

The Missouri Legislature is considering a bill that would allow law enforcement to ticket motorists solely for not wearing their seat belts. The current law allows law enforcement to issue a ticket only if they've stopped the driver for another offense. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a primary safety-belt law would save about 90 lives and prevent more than 1,000 serious injuries each year.

I realize that some believe this is an issue of individual choice. I would suggest this is not the issue at all. State law already says that everyone must wear a seat belt. The question is will we allow our law enforcement officers to enforce the law? Let your legislators know you support a primary seat-belt law in Missouri.

It won't cost a dime more in taxpayer money, but the cost of inaction is very high indeed.

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