Wearing Seatbelt Could Save Life

Dec. 30, 1999
Officials are asking people to make a new year's resolution to buckle up.

Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Paul J. Evanko announced yesterday that seven people were killed in traffic crashes investigated by the state police during the three-day Christmas holiday driving period.

Six of the victims were not wearing seatbelts.

"We repeat the message again and again: Please make sure that you and your passengers are buckled up before you start your vehicle," said Evanko.

In addition to the seven fatalities, 261 people were injured in the 666 crashes to which Pennsylvania State Police responded. Evanko said 52 crashes were alcohol related.

Last year's official Christmas driving period covered four days. During that period, six people were killed, and 274 were injured in 614 crashes investigated by state police.

As a result of past holiday crashes, officials are asking people to make buckling up a new year's resolution.

This holiday weekend alone, an estimated 364 people will die in motor-vehicle crashes, according to National Safety Council (NSC) estimates.

The NSC says that choosing to buckle up will save 255 lives this weekend and an additional 101 lives could be saved if everyone buckled up.

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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