Need a reason for seat belt use? Here's one!

[Guest guest]

More police dying in traffic accidents

Fatalities climb 16 percent over 2005; failure to wear seat belts cited

The Associated Press

Updated: 7:30 a.m. ET Dec 27, 2006

WASHINGTON - Police officers who can ticket you for not wearing a seat belt

sometimes ditch their own restraints, a factor that may have contributed to a

double-digit jump this year in law enforcement traffic fatalities, according

to a new study.

Many patrol car seat belts tangle with gun belts worn by officers, causing

some of them to choose access to a firearm over seat belt safety, said Craig

W. Floyd, chairman of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

“There are times, I’m afraid, where some officers think it’s to their

benefit to not have their seat belt on,†Floyd said in an interview.

“They’re

worried that if someone were to start shooting at them and they have to jump

out

of their car quickly, it might get tangled.â€

The choice may explain the 16 percent increase in officer fatalities in

traffic-related crashes this year over 2005, according to the report Wednesday

by

the Memorial Fund and the Concerns of Police Survivors.

According to preliminary statistics compiled through Monday, traffic

fatalities claimed the lives of 73 of the 151 officers killed in 2006. This

compares

to 63 officers killed in traffic accidents in 2005, the groups said.

Of those 73 fatalities, 47 involved vehicles, the report found. It’s unclear

how many of those officers killed were not wearing seat belts, Floyd said.

More patrol cars than ever

Inappropriate safety equipment and a lack of defensive driver training have

contributed to the jump in traffic fatalities, Floyd said. Besides

specially-designed seat belts, the groups say patrol cars should have standard

fire

suppression equipment and front and side air bags.

Simple odds factor into the increase, too, the groups said. There are more

patrol officers on the roads now than ever — 900,000 sworn officers

patrolling

the roads compared to 693,127 in 1997, according to federal statistics cited

by the report.

The traffic deaths outpaced gun-related fatalities as they have in past

years. Officers shot to death in 2006 declined 9 percent, from 59 last year to

54, the report said.

Over the past 30 years, the number of officers killed in automobile crashes

has jumped by 40 percent while the number shot to death during that period

has declined by about the same amount.

Other causes of officer deaths in 2006 were widespread, ranging from

job-related illnesses to aircraft crashes, beatings and stabbings.

One officer, was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq: . J. Kuhlmeier,

30, a special agent of the Air Force’s Office of Special Investigations in

Washington.

The most deadly state for officers this year was California, where 17 died

in the line of duty. Virginia took second place with 10 officer fatalities.

New York and Texas lost nine officers, while Florida and Illinois suffered

eight officer deaths each, the report said.

© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be

published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

URL: _http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16362182/_

(http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16362182/)

Louis N. Molino, Sr., CET

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[Guest guest]

So here's a quote from the article...

> It’s unclear how many of those officers killed were not wearing

> seat belts, Floyd said.

>

> Inappropriate safety equipment and a lack of defensive driver

> training have

> contributed to the jump in traffic fatalities, Floyd said.

So the article has a spectacular title, but the truth is nobody knows

if seat belts were a factor or not.

It is more likely that a decrease in driver training and more

exposure to road hazards is to blame. I'd be interested in seeing if

a move to Impalas and other front-wheel drive vehicles played any

role. If you're used to high-performance driving in a rear-wheel

drive, changing to a system where your power wheels are also your

steering wheels, you're in for a big, big learning curve.

Mike :/

>

> More police dying in traffic accidents

> Fatalities climb 16 percent over 2005; failure to wear seat belts

> cited

>

> The Associated Press

>

> Updated: 7:30 a.m. ET Dec 27, 2006

>

> WASHINGTON - Police officers who can ticket you for not wearing a

> seat belt

> sometimes ditch their own restraints, a factor that may have

> contributed to a

> double-digit jump this year in law enforcement traffic fatalities,

> according

> to a new study.

[Guest guest]

I do know of an instance where an ambulance was going down the streets,

lights and sirens, blew a light and was struck by a police officer, who was not

wearing a seatbelt. The paramedic driving the ambulance was killed and the

police officer did not have a valid drivers license. The ambulance was cited

and ended up putting the ambulance owner in the position he had to close shop.

Paramedic driving was wearing a seatbelt that had been reported faulty

several times to this owner. His ambulance was also at fault for blowing the

light and striking the officer. Really weird ain't it.