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Local schools, churches and community groups now have access to two powerful tools to promote seatbelt usage thanks to a new program launched today by Wayne County Sheriff Warren C. Evans.
Under the new “Seatbelt Convincer” program, launched today at Westland’s John Glenn High School, Evans said that he is making his office’s portable rollover and accident simulator machines available to the public. The devices each come with a crash test dummy – including a child size one – to demonstrate the devastating effects of failing to wear a safety belt. Evans was joined at the demonstration by Westland Mayor William R. Wild.
Statistics show that while 85% of all Michigan motorists involved in traffic accidents in 2006 were wearing a safety belt, nearly 30%of those killed in traffic accidents had failed to use their vehicle’s restraint system.
“As students head into prom season and look forward to summer vacation in a couple of months, we want to remind them of the critical importance of buckling up,” Evans said. “Having been young once, I realize that kids this age tend to think they are indestructible. Our hope is to remind them that they are not and encourage them to wear their safety belts.”
The Seatbelt Convincer machine lets students feel the impact of a low speed crash – about seven miles per hour – while the rollover simulator demonstrates (with crash test dummies) what happens to a person inside a vehicle when it starts to tumble.
“Most young drivers will tell you that they intend to drive safely, but perhaps this demonstration will stress to them the importance of doing so,” said Mayor Wild. “We are proud to be a part of what could be a life-saving lesson for these young drivers.”
Evans said the machines are easy to use and can be hauled with a pickup truck equipped with a trailer hitch to any location in the county.
For more information on the simulators or to schedule one or both of them for a community or school function, please call the Sheriff’s Road Patrol office at 734-721-2222.
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