ALWAYS Wear Seat Belts!

Even though I ALWAYS tell my son and daughter to "Buckle Up"--and I have repeated this MANY times through the years--they still went through a stage where they didn't WANT to wear seat belts at all times. I always insisted, and they always complained--there were many times that I had to pull the car over and deal with an unbuckled child. As teenagers, they also seemed to go through a phase about it--until now. Losing a friend in a car wreck, even though he WAS wearing his seat belt, was a big eye-opening experience. It won't be long before they become teen drivers themselves--I sure hope they use their best judgment and are always cautious. I hope they wear seat belts as drivers AND as passengers in their friend's cars. I hope they follow speed limits and all rules of the road. I hope--I hope--I hope. Even the most cautious drivers can still be in accidents, though. It worries me that the leading cause of death (and injuries?) in teens today are car accidents. A lot of it is due to teen driver error and lack of caution--but not all. All I can do is teach them well--and hope--and pray--that they use everything they learned at all times. And one of the most important things they have learned is: ALWAYS wear seat belts! I was glad to see my son wearing his seat belt properly today--sometimes he puts the shoulder strap under his arm, but today he wore it correctly. Now that he is the size of an adult, the straps fit him exactly as they should--so he needs to wear them that way. My daughter also is more aware and wearing her seat belt correctly these days. I certainly hope they continue this pattern. And I hope they ALWAYS wear seat belts!