Wear your seatbelt.

Shilling for safety

I’m not a shill for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. I’m not a government plant trying to foist new laws and regulations on your body. I’m just a guy who’s driven more than a million miles in more than 30 years and seen and reported on a great number of car crashes and I can tell you the cops are correct — seatbelts save lives.

The New Year’s holiday figures aren’t in, but the Virginia State Police have sobering news from Christmas. During the joyous holiday nearly a dozen Virginia families were cast into profound sadness through traffic deaths.

Ten people died in eight crashes across the state during the long weekend from Christmas Eve through Dec. 27.

Of the 10, four were teens.

Of the four teens, three were not wearing seatbelts and were killed when they were tossed from their overturning cars during the wrecks.

Of the six adults killed, five were not wearing seatbelts.

“Studies show that by not wearing a safety belt, one is five times more likely to be killed in a crash and three times more likely to sustain serious injuries,” said Sgt. Thomas J. Molnar, of the state police. “Virginia law requires drivers and front seat passengers to wear safety belts and to ensure that children under age 16 are properly restrained.”

On Dec. 28, a Maryland man ignored that advice while driving his tow truck in King George County. The truck struck a pickup and the beltless Maryland man died. The other driver, belted into his pickup, was treated for injuries and released.

Bringing point home