Wearing a seatbelt can be a safety procedure for many but, for others wearing a seatbelt can be viewed as a “risk” or “a trap for drivers who wreck in their vehicles.” Most people wear seat belts to prevent being thrown from their vehicles in a crash, and for the people, who do not wear seatbelts, they either fear being hurt by the seat belt or they simply do not want to wear one. There are other possible reasons why to not wear a seatbelt or to make the choice to wear a seat belt. Despite regular citizens wearing their seatbelt, even police officers do not wear their seat belts. According to “Enforce Seat Belt Violations for Police Officers,” Johnson (2011) concluded that 42 percent of police officers involved in crashes in the past three …show more content…
According to Robert Gannon’s article “Who Needs a Seat Belt?”he explains, “Without a seat belt, he will be twice as likely to be killed or seriously injured” (Gannon 5). This means that anyone not wearing a seat belt has a greater chance of dying or getting seriously injured in a car accident. After reading this statistic most would decide to wear a seatbelt. Concluded by Robert Gannon’s article, “... over 10,000 lives a year would be saved and those who would have been seriously injured would escape with cuts and bruises” (Gannon 11). Wearing a seatbelt can prevent a significant number of lives from being lost due to car crashes or accidents each year. Furthermore, Gannon introduces the idea of not only can car accidents without seatbelts affect the people in the crash, but this can mentally affect the paramedics and people who come to the scene. Gannon explains in detail scenes from the accidents stating, “Jim Rostek works for one of 13 paramedic units in the country. Ride with him awhile and you’ll forever remember the 30yearold stevedore with a ruptured spleen, broken legs, cracked ribs, and a concussion, who kept saying “Don’t hurt my arm!” when the arm wasn’t even scratched”(Gannon …show more content…
Fatalities do not only happen to regular citizens, they also happen to law enforcement officers. As reported by Martin Ruiz in his article “Enforced Seat Belt Violations for Police Officers”, he reports, “according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data, there were 64 officers who died in crashes between the years 2004 to 2008. Officers felt that if they had to confront a suspect quickly, then the seatbelt could become entangled on the holster” (Ruiz 12). Officers all complain that wearing a seat belt is an “officer safety” issue and that it slows down their mobility when it comes to arriving to a scene (Ruiz 2). He also reveals, “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (2011) found that there where were 733 crashes with bodily injuries from the year 1980 through 2008 with officers not wearing their seat belts”(Ruiz 2). This is primarily because officers feel that wearing a seatbelt makes them less efficient of performing their jobs. In accordance to, “System of Motor Vehicle Safety Belt Design Elements and Case Study,”“Seatbelts are estimated to reduce the overall risk for serious injuries in crashes by 6070 percent and the risk for fatalities by about 45 percent.”(Iovanescu 247). Therefore, using the seatbelt as intended by the designers and creators of the seatbelt it is supposed to save lives. As for people who do not wear their seatbelts, they simply complain that “it's uncomfortable”
The Bryan v McPherson case is in reference to the use of a Taser gun. Carl Bryan was stopped by Coronado Police Department Officer McPherson for not wearing his seatbelt. Bryan was irate with himself for not putting it back on after being stopped and cited by the California Highway Patrol for speeding just a short time prior to encountering Officer McPherson. Officer McPherson stated that Mr. Bryan was acting irrational, not listening to verbal commands, and exited his vehicle after being told to stay in his vehicle. “Then, without any warning, Officer McPherson shot Bryan with his ModelX26 Taser gun” (Wu, 2010, p. 365). As a result of being shot with a Taser, he fell to the asphalt face first causing severe damage to his teeth and bruising
This essay will focus on two main points that will support the argument that more Tasers should not be given to more officers. First off, there has not been enough research completed to deem Tasers as a safe alternative weapon that officers can use to gain compliance of violent individuals that they may deal with on a day-to-day basis. Before more Tasers are given to officers, there needs to be more research done outlining the possible risks that CEWs pose to the human body, and any short or long term affects that may arise due to the use of CEWs on individuals. Secondly, the issuing of Tasers to more officers is not a good idea because just like anything else, Tasers can lead to an overreliance on the part of police officers to resort to the use of Tasers on individuals who do not comply with them. This along with the absence of clear and strict guidelines that stipulate when officers are to use their Tasers on non-compliant individuals will lead to abuse. Many police officers may decide to bypass the use of verbal commands, empty-handed strikes, and other tools at their disposal such as the ASP baton, when dealing with a violent individual...
It has been determined by the Supreme Court that it is proper to arrest someone for a violation of a seat belt law if it has been violated in the presence of an officer. All 50 states and the District of Columbia have statutes that permit warrantless misdemeanor arrests by at least some peace officers without requiring any breach of the peace. Because The “Click it or Ticket” program in North Carolina has served as a model for the nation and the Presidential Initiative for Increasing safety belt use Nationwide highly recommends that other communities adopt this program it appears as though safety belt laws will continue to exist for years to come.
An enormous division currently exists between the people who believe that automobile safety should be an option and those that feel it must be a requirement. The federal government feels the morally obligated to create the safest driving environment possible. On the other end of the spectrum, opinions exist that the average driver has ability to make the choice of safety on their own. Editorials, political assemblies, debates, and conversations have arrived on the concept of click it or ticket. This idea refers to ticketing any motor vehicle driver and passenger that is not fastened by a seat belt. Arguments have been made for both sides, and have been reviewed in multiple states.
In order to prove themselves, men usually attempt unhealthy and destructive acts to perform their courage and fearlessness, but these actions are prone to suicidal and various other types of out of control or untouchable behaviors. Michael Kimmel states, “Men ages nineteen to twenty-nine are three times less likely to wear seat belts than women the same age”(Kimmel 468). Mr Kimmel quoted data to claim that young men assume safe driving as emasculation. As long as men are driving a car, using a seatbelt means that they are afraid of injury or death. Besides those, it also represents that this man cannot completely control his car; on the other hand, he is not masculine.
In the late 1920’s, school buses and larger industrial vehicles became a popular source of transportation that started from Ford dealership owner, A.L. Luce. Luce had plans to extend the school bus frame (from a Model T) to accompany more students per one bus. As school buses and city buses became more common throughout America’s cities for daily transportation, safety regulations and precautions were put in place. Safety features, including flashing caution lights, visors outside of the vehicle, and motorized stop signs and stop arms were all installed within the next 80 years to make the journey to and from school safer. Although many of these precautions were taken, many citizens believe that not enough action was taken to promote safety on school buses. Because a variety of school bus companies do not have a stance on whether seatbelts should be installed or not, the safety concerns mainly impact parents and school leaders. A good solution for many of those concerned would be the installation of seatbelts on every school bus within the United States, but the reality of seatbelts being on buses is quite the opposite of what people believe. Seatbelts are not the justification to these safety issues concerning school corporations and parents nationwide, as the seatbelts are a costly and dangerous factor.
To begin with police officers faces more dangers than the average American citizen, “generally police are about three times as likely to be killed on the job as the average American” (Blako). “Some of the most important hazards police face are assaults, vehicle crashes, being struck by vehicles, stress, overexertion, and falls” (LaTourrette). Traffic stops make up a majority of the police deaths, but most of those deaths do not have to do with responding to the scene of a crime or the pursuit of a criminal suspect. Most would believe police have the most dangerous jobs in the world, yet many do not die in the line of duty. Police shows like Cops give the American population a false sense of danger when it comes day to day work of an officer. They only show the action to keep viewers interested because if you watching the normal stopping of a citizen to get a speeding ticket or to tell them a lights out the show would not be on anymore. If you do see an everyday traffic stop it is because something bad is about to happen like an oncoming vehicle probably not paying attention resul...
Should police officers be mandated to wear body cameras? That is a question that has grown to be widely discussed in media, politics, and the public. The death of Michael Brown due to a fatal shooting by a law enforcement officer inflamed the idea that police officers should wear body cameras (Griggs, Brandon). The opposing sides of such controversial questions both provide a strong reasonable argument that supports each side. However, despite the critiques against body cameras, I believe the evidence that supports the use of body cameras to be overwhelmingly positive and the intention is of pure deeds.
Many people may choose not to wear a seatbelt because they don’t understand how and why they work. To begin with seatbelts are the first line of defense one has against an injury in a crash.
Even though there are some statistics that may show a lower rate of injury or death if you wear a seat belt when in an automobile accident, I do not feel that the government has the right to make wearing a seat belt mandatory for adults because by making seat belts mandatory it takes away from our right to freedom of choice, and wearing a seat belt does not eliminate the risk of injury or death as people have been injured and/or killed due to wearing a seat belt Current seat belt law originated from federal legislation in the 1960s that made it mandatory for all automobile manufacturers to include seat belts in their vehicles as a standard feature. Originally, the purpose of a seat belt was not to protect the occupants in the case of a crash, but rather to physically keep them in the vehicle, as driving was bumpy business. However, in today’s times, mandatory use of a seat belt falls under various states purview. Each state implements its own laws regarding enforcement of seat belt use.
Based on the analysis done by James Medison University, As many as 17,000 people could be saved every year by wearing a seatbelt. When we are not wearing a seat belt, it will increase medical costs in the event of an accident.
Car accidents are the leading cause of death for people under the age of 35. Wearing a seat belt can prevent death in about half of these accidents. Did you know that every 15 seconds someone is injured in an automobile accident if they are not buckled up, or that every 13 minutes someone is killed in a crash. Failure to wear a seat belt contributes to more fatalities than any other single traffic safety related behavior. According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration seatbelts saved nearly 12,000 lives in the United States in the year 2000. The NHTSA estimates that more than 9,000 U.S. car accident fatalities in 2000 would have been avoided if the victims had been wearing seatbelts. Sixty three percent of the people killed in accidents were not wearing seat belts. The NHTSA a...
Seatbelts have been around since the 1950s and have proven to save lives over the years. The teenage stigma is that they do not need to wear one because they will be fine. After thousands of accidents where the occupants did not wear their seatbelt, the Supreme Court decided to pass some laws. “In 1972, the agency requires dull passive restraints for front seat occupants” (Supreme Court). The agency that the Supreme Court is referring to is the Department of Transportation. This law is a staple in automobile safety and sets a level of precedents for future laws. After this law was passed, the amount of fatalities from traffic incident relating to seat belts usage had dropped. The Supreme Court did not stop there, they continued to add more laws. “...new motor vehicles produced after September 1982 will be equipped with passive restraints to protect the safety of the occupants of the vehicle in the event of a collision” (Supreme Court). Now all new motor vehicles must have a form of passive restraint added to their vehicles before they can sell them to the public. The government hoped to protect more lives of young drivers who did not insist on wearing seat belts by making them mandatory and being enforced by police officers. Since 1972, hundreds of thousands of teenage lives have been saved with this simple safety
Although there are many unsafe things that people should not do while driving such as, texting, reckless driving, speeding, and driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, however, they still do it because they think they will not cause an accident. No one ever expects to get into a car accident one day while they are driving minding their own business heading towards their destination and suddenly being hit by someone ending up with head and back injuries and a broken hip bone or even fatality. The use of a seat belt may not save you from bodily injuries but it certainly can keep your body in place preventing you from being ejected out of a vehicle that has come to a halt. I’d rather be held in a car during a car accident than to be thrown on the side of a road any
Road safety is one of the most important aspects of daily living. Our vehicle is our main transportation from one place to another. The number of car and motorcycle accidents seem to be increasing because of the many distractions, the lack of safety measures and judgment to road conditions and weather. Not being cautious increases the chances of not only injuring ourselves but hurting others as well. On the road, you see people talking on their cell phones or texting, eating, putting makeup on, changing the radio station, reading or using your GPS while driving. These are all distractions that endanger drivers, passengers and bystanders safety. Safe driving involves off-road precautionary measures such as making sure tires are properly inflated, testing windshield wipers, getting regular oil changes and tune-ups and adjusting the mirrors. All of these actions can help prevent an accident. Unfortunately, not all of us decide to wear our seat belts when driving or turn signal ligh...