Passengers Should Always Buckle Up

You’re a safe driver, right? You always do the right things before and after getting into the car. You check all around the vehicle not wanting to hit anything like an animal or a basketball. You always make your adjustments once you are behind the wheel. Your seat is in just the right spot, your mirrors give you a fantastic view of your driving environment, and you are buckled in for safety. You stop off at your friends’ houses and they jump in to go have a good time at the mall, but there’s something that bothers you, one of your friends decides not to buckle up.

Is that really a big deal? You could tell them to put it on, but that’s your friend, isn’t it? Your trip isn’t going to be that long, right? It’s just a short ride to the mall, and if you say anything, maybe he’ll get mad at you, or make fun of you for being so cautious. What could really happen?

So, you decide not to say anything and you drive down the road blissfully unaware of the danger right inside your own vehicle. You turn on to a main road and someone crosses the center lane, and BAM! Your car is jolted and jostled, glass shatters, the frame buckles under the tremendous force as your vehicle spins out of control slamming into a nearby light pole. That’s all terrible, but everyone should survive, right? Not necessarily. You and two of your passengers are buckled, but there is that one friend who chose not to strap in.

Since he wasn’t attached to the car by the seatbelt he was thrown around like a pinball, smashing into anything else in the car. That includes the seats, the windows, and the other passengers. A car crash is bad enough when everyone is buckled in, but when someone chooses to be selfish or stubborn, they risk everyone’s life in the car. It’s the driver’s responsibility to ensure the safety of his or her passengers. It’s a big job, but so is driving.

You may not want to offend you friends or to look weak, but taking responsibility is not a sign of weakness, but rather of strength. It shows leadership and maturity. There are no guarantees that a seatbelt can save everyone in every crash, but by buckling up and making sure that everyone in your vehicle is also buckled up, you give one and all a better chance at survival.