Second Draft Seat Belt Laws In Montana Op Ed free essay sample

If that isnt bad enough, the state had to prosecute me for child abuse/ endangerment. Now that the trial is over, need to heal. (Personal Stories). Sadly, Samaritan Babcock IS not alone with myths and negative opinions about stables. Approximately 1 1 ,OHO people each year could be saved just from wearing a settable (How Wearing Seat Belts Can Help), and yet a great deal of people ignore the facts. The serious issue regarding the lack of education about settable use, dawned on me while reading an editorial to the Missoula titled Montana Must Make Primary Settable Law Priority.As I continued reading, the article discussed the constant recklessness of vehicle occupants, just in Montana alone. To make better decisions as a state, I think its important to compare our progress to other states, such as those states who have implemented Primary Settable Laws. To do so, we must discuss the myths about settable use, the statistics of deaths per year from not wearing a settable, and what the crash cost is. Once Montana drivers are educated, only then can we successfully implement Primary Settable laws, which is the ultimate goal.First of all to put this into context, there are two different types of settable Laws, Primary and Secondary. Primary seat belt laws allow law enforcement officers to ticket a driver or passenger for not wearing a seat belt, without any other traffic offense taking place. Secondary seat belt laws state that law enforcement officers may issue a ticket for not wearing a seat belt only when there is another excitable traffic infraction. Montana is an example of a state who uses the set of Secondary seat belt laws, and although it has been proven somewhat useful, 20. % of Montanas population, which is approximately 1 96,000 people, are still not buckling up (Primary Settable Law Facets). In 201 1 alone, there was a reported 172 vehicle occupant deaths. Out of those 172 deaths, 127 people were not wearing stables (Montana Living). That is a large statistical number and often gets written off as just that, a statistic. But most Montana towns are small, with a wholesome community-feel based environment. That is 127 individual deaths which affect whole communities.If there can be at least one person saved from wearing a settable, it would be beneficial to a magnitude of people. Some people however still dare to think l dont need to wear a settable, or that would never happen to me. There are many myths about settable use, and I m going to help relieve some of those myths. Rarely do you see cars from the sasss still driving around, which were the models before stables were standard in cars. Now it is generally well established that air bags do not make up for not wearing a settable.An air bag deploys at a rate of 200 miles per hour. If not properly belted, impact with an airbag could be deadly. Air bags provide supplemental protection in frontal crashes if used in conjunction with seat belts, but are less effective in a side or rear collision or rollover crash (Montana Living). Without wearing a settable, air bags solely are only 12% effective at reducing deaths (How Wearing Stables Can Help). Another excuse or myth for not buckling up, is cases where the drive is very short, like to the store or the post office. But as a matter of fact, statistics show the risk Of getting into a serious crash is just as great on a quick trip to the store as it is on a longer trip. Seventy-five percent of all serious crashes occur within 25 miles from home (How Wearing Stables Can Help). Also, driving on smaller roads and avoiding highways is also not a reliable reason to ride without a settable; 80 percent of deaths and serious injuries occur in icicles traveling less than 40 miles per hour (Montana Living). Being thrown against a dashboard in a 30 mile-per-hour crash is like striking the ground after falling from a third-floor window (Montana Living). To put it into fewer words, even a low speed crash can be fatal. One of the most common excuses for inattention especially to buckling up is the classic l am a good driver. Unfortunately, although in most cases this is true, good drivers get hit by bad drivers, intoxicated drivers, aggressive drivers, or inattentive drivers; A seat belt protects against other drivers or uncontrollable and unexpected conditions such as a deer jumping in front of the vehicle (Montana Living). Some people will completely disregard the proved myths, but it is harder to disregard the firm statistics further displaying the dangers of not wearing a settable The statistics of fatalities due to not wearing a settable is endless. The chances of being killed is four times greater if thrown out of a vehicle (Primary Settable Laws Fact Sheet). If drivers and passengers alike, Wore their stables, this would eliminate the statistics Of being detached from a vehicle. In 201 0, Stables saved more than 13,000 lives connation, and from 2004 to 2008, over 75,000 lives were saved (Primary Settable Laws Fact Sheet).Montanas observed settable rate in 2008 was 79. 3%, which didnt nearly stack up to states with Primary Seat Belt Laws such as Oregon and Washington; Both states had figures a little over 96% (Primary Settable Laws Fact Sheet). Its also important to note the difference in fatality rates in rural areas in Montana compared to urban areas. Whether it be because of Montanas amazing scenic views along roads, or down to the relaxed driving along low traffic areas, rural Montana fabricates the most totalities in Montana, approximately 95% (Primary Settable Law Fact Sheet). The fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled is over 5. 8 times higher in rural Montana than in urban areas (Primary Settable Law Facets). Moreover, out of 10 states with the highest percentage of fatalities in rural areas in 2005, none of these states had Primary Seat Belt Laws. Contradictory, thirteen out of twenty states with the lowest percentage of fatalities in rural areas had enacted Primary Seat Belt Laws (Primary Settable Laws Fact Sheet). This is a clear indicator that if Montana wants to see a change in trend on deaths from not wearing stables, it starts with legislation.According to the primary document I first read, there have been repeated efforts to pass primary seat belt laws, and several close calls, but Montana legislators continue to fail their constituents on this count (Montana Must Make. . ). It is proven across the board that states with Primary Laws are at least ten percentage points higher for observed settable use than states with Secondary Laws; there is no point in arrogantly parading around waiting for an answer, when the opportunity is urgently banging at the door. Given a scenario where a person was to survive a horrific accident without wearing their settable, what are the costs?Forget the car, your body is in serious need of repair. Each year over an average of 887 unbelted individuals are hospitalized for care. Out of that 887, 81 9 admissions may have been prevented if the occupant was wearing a settable (Health Care Costs in MET). The collective total of health care cost for unbelted occupants, and who visit the hospital, is a little over 36. 7 million each year (Health Care Costs in MET). On average, unbelted occupants had longer hospital stays (2. 3 days longer), ND required more intensive care (2. 7 days longer) and accumulated higher hospital charges of $52,993 (Health Care Costs in MET).This is relative to the average belted occupant whose hospital costs was around $36, 420 (Health Care Costs MET). Furthermore, unbelted occupants are more likely to have hospital costs covered by the federal or state government, because the extent of most health costs are too immense for someone to pay (Health Care Costs MET). As of currently, excess costs for occupants injuries that were unbelted, means that each driver in Montana is paying an extra $51 to subsidize unbelted occupants (Health Care Costs MET). No one wants to pay extra tax dollars. Collectively, the implementation Of a new seat belt agenda has the ability to change that.Nationally, traffic crashes cost the nation approximately 230 billion each year in medical expenses, lost productivity, property damage, and other related costs. Out of that, Montana pays $621 million of those costs. (Primary Settable Laws Facets). That is $688 for every resident of Montana each year, 74% of that cost is paid by citizens not involved in crashes at all (Primary Settable Law Facets). If every state with a Secondary Settable Law upgraded to primary enforcement, about 1,000 lives and $4 billion in crash costs could be saved each year. (The Nations Top Strategies ).In short, unbelted occupants accumulate health care costs that have a significant economic impact on both the state of Montana and its residents. We all pay the price (Buckle up Montana). Someone is killed in a crash every 13 minutes. However, seat belts save over 1 1 ,OHO lives each year, and they can help you maintain control of your car in a crash. (How Wearing Stables Can Help). And if all of this wasnt convincing enough, do it for all the people oh would leave behind if you were to get in a car crash today. You are unique, bayou die in a car accident you are eradicating your individualism from the world.This is emphasized in one of my favorite Dir. Guess quotes, Today you are you that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Your than you, So basically, be you. Help Montana by advocating a change in agenda for the 201 5 legislative session, and let it be heard that you expect them to make a Primary seat belt law a priority. With education, comes action. And now that you, a Montana driver is becoming more educated, its mime to take action and help on the endeavor to change Montanas Secondary seat belt laws to primary seat belts laws, and buckle up.