Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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tmmm Page 5 Buckle Up For Safety Race drivers regularly walk away from crashes at speeds well in excess of 100 miles an hour and one of the reasons they do is a safety device available to every driver— safety belts. The safety harness of racing drivers is far more uncomfortable than ordinary seat belts, but it is vital along with roll bars and other racing safety devices. People often offer the excuse that seat belts are uncomfortable, but they may be more uncomfortable for the mind than the body. Some people say that buckling up re minds us that driving can be hazardous to our health. Mentally we reject the risk and physically we reject the belt, the symbol of that risk. Driving can be hazardous, but driv ing without seat belts buckled can be even more hazardous. The death toll is bad enough, but hun dreds are permanently disabled and thousands are injured less seriously, but more seriously than they would have been if they had been wearing seat belts. Those who complain about the discomfort should think how uncomfortable they would be if an acci dent put them in traction because they we ren’t wearing their seat belt. Some people who don’t wear their seat belts regularly say they use them on long trips. They are gambling with the odds stack ed against them because the majority of accidents occur within 25 miles of the driv er's home, according to the National Safety Council. A few people complain that seat belts wrinkle their clothes, but the consequences of not wearing a seat belt can be a lot more drastic than a few wrinkles. One day inflatable crash cushions or air bags may be standard equipment on cars, but the seat belts still will be necessary to lessen the chance of fatal injuries in side impact crashes and roll-overs. Buckling up is the single most important thing you can do to protect yourself against death and injury. It is so important that you should train yourself to do it automatically when you sit down in an automobile. A recent study also indicates that 9,200 lives a year could be saved if every motorist wore seat belts. In addition, 327,000 in juries could have been prevented or re duced. Only one out of five Americans buckle up voluntarily, even though every car produced today is equipped with seat belts and shoul der harnesses. Many safety professionals have expressed concern that the United States is the only major industrial nation that doesn’t require its citizens to wear seat belts. Thirty-one countries, Puerto Rico and most of Canada have mandatory seat belt usage laws. Some countries have reported fatal in juries have dropped by more than one-third, while serious injuries have been cut almost 50 percent merely through the use of the restraining devices. New York, New Jersey and Illinois have taken giant steps forward in automobile safety by passing our nation's first manda tory belt use laws. Clinton Mills encourages you and your fel low passengers to “buckle-up" anytime traveling in an mobile vehicle. Logos on Vehicles and Tanks A “Crafted With Pride" logo has been affixed to all Clinton Mills' vehicles as well as the company water storage tanks. The new logo, along with the company name, emphasizes the company’s con tinuing interest in the “Crafted With Pride" program. As the company's vehicles travel through out the communities, the “Crafted With Pride in USA" message will be presented to hundreds of potential American-made tex tile customers. ai •••••■ ;<s< ••• •••• Casper Boyd Boyd Strongly Advises Everyone to Use Seat Belts Casper Boyd “buckles up" as he makes a trip in one of Clinton Mills’ pickup trucks. Boyd, a Plants No. 1 and 2 warehouse em ployee, is a strong advocate of seat belt use. “Several months ago I was involved in a collision where my car was struck from the rear. Seat belts prevented me from sustain ing a serious injury," said Boyd. “My car is a sub-compact Chevette and it’s equipped with belts that are automatic ally around you when you open the door and get in. This is very important in a car this small," he added. “It would be a good idea if the state made a law for mandatory seat belt usage." The South Carolina Department of Public Transportation’s Traffic Safety Department reports that in 1983, accidents investigated showed only 29 people died on South Caroli na highways while wearing safety belts and 510 fatalities occurred to those not wearing belts. As for injuries, 16,598 non-users suf fered injuries while only 1,270 injuries occurred to seat belt users. A BLESSED EASTER 17 tiring this festival of hope renewed — Easter time — come join us in rejoicing the return of faith and trust and love to our hearts.