European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 3, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse Are seat belts safer buckling up is optional but Accident figures support safety claims. Military safety officials liken no wearing seat belts in a car to re fusing a Parachute on an Are lifesavers and the safety officials have the figures to prove it Mak ing it hard for them to understand Why servicemen in Europe will not habitually buckle up when they take off in their private vehicles. Last january the defense department reluctantly pulled the Rug out from under the safety people when Legal Road blocks halted compulsory wearing of seat belts. The change in Pentagon policy resulted from the fact that a military regu lation requiring servicemen to Wear Seatbelt or crash helmets could impose Legal sanctions on those individuals involved in accidents. Such servicemen for example could find their ability to recover civil dam Ages impaired on the grounds that the were contributor ily negligent in fail ing to use an available seat Belt which under military regulation they were required to Wear Dod officials spokesman for the Usa eur staff judge advocate said the Dod ordered mandatory wearing of seat belts dropped because there is no precedent for Sucha regulation in civil Law among the 50 states. The same is True of mandatory wearing of helmets while Riding motor cycles. There also exists the possibility he said that a Driver might open himself up to a suit if he did not require a Pas Senger to buckle up and the passenger were injured in an Accident. It might be shown in court that a person who failed to obey a lawful regulation was negligent hence liable for damages. Up to the time the Dod directive came out killing the mandatory buckle up both Usa eur and Safe had energetic seat Belt programs going for them in their constant Effort to save life and limb on european highways. The air Force s mandatory seat Bel requirement had been in effect longer than the army a and Safe safety officers feel they were getting about 92 per cent compliance by the time the requirement was lifted feb. 5. Now compliance is believed to have dropped to about 83 per cent. Within Safe wearing seat belts had been mandatory since sept. 5, 1965, a period of two year and five months. The army did t make wearing belts mandatory until last july and knocked off the requirement on Jan. 26. That made the compulsory period Only about seven months. One Usa eur estimated that compliance was about 50 per cent. Although safety officials seem to de Light in statistics and the statistics certainly Point unmistakably toward the benefits of wearing seat is 12 a Taite Seei not the whole Story they admit. Other factors enter into How Many people die or Are injured in Auto accidents. Even Safe figures however show a decided trend toward lower casualties among Belt wearers. For the period of two years and five months before wearing seat belts was made compulsory there were 100 deaths among Safe military personnel. Dur ing the period of equal length when wearing seat belts was mandatory there were Only 63 fatalities in roughly the same number of accidents. This was a 37 per cent reduction. For a one year period before wearing belts became mandatory there were 227 accidents in which persons were disabled. In the first year of the Manda tory period there were 198 disabling Pov accidents a 13 per cent reduction. Comparative figures for deaths during the two periods were 54 before and Only 28 during a 48 per cent reduction. There were 251 injuries before and 209 during Belt wearing a 17 per cent reduction. Safe safety officials express certainty that seat belts were a major fac Tor in the reduction of injury and death. He army broke out its figures differently due to the Shorter mandatory period but a similar trend appears. The army figures for the period from july 1, 1966, tojan. 26, 1967, there were 127 Pov deaths. During that time wearing seat belts was not compulsory. For the compulsory per Iod july 1, 1967, to Jan. 26, 1968, there were 102 fatalities a reduction of More than 19 per National safety Council has come up with the figure that you Are five times More Likely to be killed in an Auto crash if you Are thrown from the most cases seat belts prevent being thrown objectors to seat belts plead fear of being trapped in a burning , the Csc comes up with a refutation of this reasoning claiming that a4-year-old child pan open a seat Belt instantly with one hand plus the fac that with your Belt fastened you Are More Likely to remain conscious. Be sides Only one half of one per cent of car accidents involve fire the Csc objectors claim they can be injured by the Belt itself. Csc agrees thesis possible particularly with an improperly adjusted Belt. The Belt should hold Down and Back across the hips and Pel vis not the Abdomen. The improved Cross Chest Belt also minimizes injury Rora the Belt itself Csc Points study of accidents conducted at Cornell University showed that a person wearing a properly adjusted seat Belt in an Accident is 60 per cent less Likely to suffer injury and 50 per cent Jess Likely to be killed. John Reese watch thae hands. And feet wrong again this is an eos wyome control. No Wro Rigl if you have to spin the wheel you la be off balance. So own 2i2 psf Siwy. Mamm ?.$ 1 fc4 stiff Arm driving with both hands on spokes limits your steering ability. This May demonic your mind it i or affection but a to be on Road. The right Way ii a matter of choices Long Ai you keep both Handt on the wheel and in position to react to any emergency. Ten four position above is favored by Many flood driven for Long Durance driving ten two above right lets driven relax. Twenty til two right gives control with room for Arm movement by John Krueger staff writer a horse or sprinter May win Arace by a nose but not a grand Rex Driver. Mechanical aspect being equal he Lytell you that he wins by his hands and feet the skillful operation of the steer ing wheel and floor pedals. And that s where every Motorist will find much of the Success lies in just staying alive these enough people realize that a motor car is a dangerous weapon lament safety experts. A Good Driver must be. Careful feel a responsibility for others have Good depth perception and Good but you can still be mat Ter How rapid your reactions ii you re Slipshod Abonit driving style if you fail to have a feel for your car and the Road conditions. However tensing up in t going to help. The thinking Driver realizes that he s going to be cooler in a crisis if he stays relaxed As Well As attentive. To is Means proper positioning of those terminal appendages to your limbs. The armed forces Are paying special attention to the problem of driving tech Nique in order to Cut Down on traffic accidents. Driver the air Force automotive mag Azine safely stipulates you la have a better Chance in a emergency if you keep both of your hands on the it warns is the name of a. Ith both hands on the wheel prop Erly spaced for Good control grip an balance you have a far better Chance of missing that dear old lady who makes left turn from the far right Lane in front of you or to control your vehicle in Case of a Blowout Jand position it Points out i really a matter of Choice just As Long As you Don t grab the wheel like wrench handle. Remember even though the Palm should be firmly pressed against the wheel you still guide with your fingers maintaining a sensitive touch. Recommended hand settings like clock Are a Quarter to three ten to four ten to two and Twenty to Don t lose control they give it away safety officers determined Long offer such examples of inefficiency As both hands at the top of the wheel if you have to spin the wheel quickly you la find yourself Way off bal Anc stiff Arm driving with both hands on the wheel spokes limited steering ability one Arm on the Back of the seat can t help you much in emergencies one Arm around your girl mind is also wandering and no hands just wrists it elbows Little steering trac Tion. In other words forget any front sept frivolity and that includes being too footloose. Lay or playful feet can get you into trouble real fast stressed Driver Riding a motorcycle while barefooted can also Lead to trouble. And wearing the wrong kind of foot Wear can prevent you from making timely response in an in fact asks the article have you Ever considered carrying a special pair of shoe in your car just for driving among the footwear that can foul you up Are High heels catching in Mats and sandals and clogs that catch on rally dangerous Are Bare or Stock feet. They prevent you from the usual amount of pressure. Nylons Are also Slippery. Some states shoeless driving is Law enforcement officials prefer that be on your toes by keeping you shod hooves on the a Jor the stars and strips High heels catch on Mots or pedals save them for dancing. Photos Courtesy of Driver Magazine playing Footsie May be fun. You Ilam into vehicle in front. Until driving Bare footed May be cooler but your feet can slip off pedals. Stay in Neutral at lights. Bump could Jar foot off pedal and Send car into intersection. Open front sandals or clogs can easily catch on pedals at wrong time. F the right Way. Sensible shoes and feet in proper position. Tin stars and strips Page
