Mandan Crash + Seatbelts Worn = Lives Saved.
Another typical Tuesday here at our radio station in Mandan, until a frightening split-second moment took place - A driver pulling out onto the strip collided with another vehicle ( which was moving at a pretty fast clip ) - this was right in front of our building. All of us went out to see if we could be of any help and the very first thing I thought of was "I sure hope they were wearing their seatbelts". This was a very violent crash, one of the cars suffered extreme damage - THIS easily could have wound up a fatality, had she NOT been wearing a seatbelt. The end results from this morning - both parties in the accident escaped injury.
The Bismarck Tribune reported just recently North Dakota had 100 crash deaths in 2019, at least 34 of which were "unbelted fatalities," according to state data. In 2018, an unbelted fatality occurred every 10 days in North Dakota. Gov. Doug Burgum supports a seat belt law to help mitigate traffic deaths - Data is "very, very strong for seat belts saving lives," Burgum said. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that seat belts reduce the risk of death and serious injury by 45% and 50%, respectively.
There are many people who just don't bother wearing them because they think it's a hassle dealing with it - "Why bother when I'm just going down the street?" I saw an ad that "Hit the nail on the head" - The message is crystal clear - "There are probably a million excuses why people DON"T wear seatbelts, but none of them will help keep you alive"
The Top 10 Mispronounced City Names in North Dakota