A road accident led to death of the recently sworn-in Union rural development minister of India, Gopinath Munde, wherein the doctors highlighted how wearing the seatbelt could’ve saved his life. This article discusses the particular incident, and many similar cases where people have lost lives because of their ignorance to its importance. Today I had a conversation with a friend while in the car, who insisted and argued on not wearing seatbelts since she was at the backseat (Shri Munde too was!).
Going ten years backwards, I experienced something that I would like to share: I was with my entire family sightseeing in Delhi, in a maruti van waiting for the signal to turn green in front of Rashtrapati Bhavan. Within a blink of an eye, a car came at a high speed and rammed onto our car and quickly ran away as happens in most cases. None of us were belted, and I was seated at the supposedly safest place: behind the driver. Ironically, nothing happened to anyone else in the car except me; with the impact I jumped to hit the roof of the van on top of driver's seat (relatively far in a maruti van). I went blank for two minutes, and my head was swollen like double the size of a cricket ball. This was followed by doctor visits for nearly 3-4 months, with scans, medications etc until my swelling went off completely. Having personally experienced this, and come across so many people who don't like wearing seatbelts, I was prompted to share my views and make a case about the importance of seatbelts. So here it goes.
Going ten years backwards, I experienced something that I would like to share: I was with my entire family sightseeing in Delhi, in a maruti van waiting for the signal to turn green in front of Rashtrapati Bhavan. Within a blink of an eye, a car came at a high speed and rammed onto our car and quickly ran away as happens in most cases. None of us were belted, and I was seated at the supposedly safest place: behind the driver. Ironically, nothing happened to anyone else in the car except me; with the impact I jumped to hit the roof of the van on top of driver's seat (relatively far in a maruti van). I went blank for two minutes, and my head was swollen like double the size of a cricket ball. This was followed by doctor visits for nearly 3-4 months, with scans, medications etc until my swelling went off completely. Having personally experienced this, and come across so many people who don't like wearing seatbelts, I was prompted to share my views and make a case about the importance of seatbelts. So here it goes.
What many people aren’t aware is that in Singapore, being caught by traffic police while not belted will cost you S$120 (rules), regardless of where you are sitting (driver, front or back): precisely the reason why taxi uncles insist on buckling up as soon as u hop into the cab. Rules, laws and fines apart, human lives are far more precious, are they not?
I’m sure most of us during flights, follow cabin crew instructions for fastening seatbelts while taking off/landing/turbulent weather. Why? If there were an accident, chances are that you wouldn’t survive it (depending on its magnitude), inspite of your secured seatbelts. No, ofcourse I believe one should wear seatbelts even on flights. What is funny is that, people don’t realize to what extent seatbelts can change your fate in a road accident than a flight accident. It can probably save you from dying, or flying outside the car breaking your head and bones; it can immensely reduce the extent of your injuries. Please ask yourself why you don’t like to wear seatbelt in a car: wearing a simple belt harms you in anyway? It might restrict your movements a bit, but does anyone really need to dance inside a car?
The no. of car trips you take is way higher than flight trips. The no. of car/road accidents happening every year would be multifold more than no. of flight accidents/year. So in all probabilities, if you are bound to have an accident, car/road accident it would be. In fact, in many countries if you have an accident and were unbelted, your health insurance is not going to take care of your medical expenses. Seatbelts are designed with a purpose, respect their importance, and use them for your safety. Same holds good with headgears while riding a two wheeler, "chalta hai" attitude can be equally dangerous here.
Research in this area also shows how the hospital costs in road accidents are higher in unbelted patients than belted pateints, and compares the injury patterns in both cases, reducing the extent of it and mortality rates when patients were belted.
If you don't find these reasons convincing enough, you might as well remind yourself of the fine that you might need to pay for flouting the rules. Better safe than sorry!
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