Seat belt laws in place for a reason
The column written by Ms. Satterwhite that appeared in the June 22 edition of the paper disturbed me for a number of reasons.
First, the fact you ran a column questioning the philosophy behind seat belt laws on the same day you ran an article covering the death of a teenager in a automobile accident shows bad judgment, and bad taste.
Second, if Ms. Satterwhite had done some very basic research into this subject, she would have found that most children between the ages of 4 and 8 are not properly restrained when in vehicles. The reason is simple. Seatbelts are not designed to fit children less than 5 feet tall. The lap belt rides up onto the abdomen, and the shoulder belt rides up onto the neck or face.
In an accident, a child less than 5 feet tall can suffer serious neck and abdominal injuries if not positioned correctly in the seat. The booster seat corrects for this problem, and helps prevent serious injury and death.
Injury suffered from motor vehicle accidents is the leading cause of death in this age group. Improper use of seatbelts in this age group leads to a 3.5 times greater risk for significant injury and a 4 times greater risk for significant head injury during car accidents.
Third, Ms. Satterwhite does not seem to realize that laws are not passed to intrude upon the lives of private citizens, but instead are passed to protect the public interest. The decision not to place your child in a child restraint system is yours, but the impact of your decision affects everyone if your child is seriously injured because of your decision.
Finally, our legislature did not pass this new law on some whim. They passed the law to protect the public with new and better safety recommendations, which are based on statistics about real children injured and killed in car accidents. Instead of belittling the decision-making process that led to this law, Ms. Satterwhite should be celebrating it, because her children will be safer as a result.
John H. Purvis, M.D.
1589 Sparta Street
McMinnville