Hitch In Driving Routine Could Be A Real Life-Saver

It was the weekend before Labor Day 1989, a beautiful crisp fall day, and I was working in the Colville National Forest north of Chewelah. At that time I was a U.S. Air Force survival instructor supervising field operations.

At about 5:30 p.m. I received a radio call asking me to go to the nearest telephone and call my first sergeant at his office. This was not a routine call because no one normally worked on base on Saturday. Thousands of fears raced through my mind as my boss and I drove 14 miles to the nearest phone.

(We both fastened our seat belts before departing. I have been conscientious about that ever since 1972 when I viewed a film that showed the interiors of vehicles after both fatal and non-fatal accidents. Even in severe crashes there was room to survive, if you had a seat belt on.

I have asked many people why they don’t wear seat belts. Of all the responses I’ve heard the one I find almost unbelievable is, “I would rather be thrown free of the crash.”

Actually, the possibility of being killed in a vehicle accident is 15 times greater if you don’t have a seat belt on. If you are ejected from a vehicle during a collision, your chances of being killed are 59 percent greater.

We can twist facts to prove one thing or another, but you can never lie to yourself about personal experiences.

When my boss and I finally arrived at the phone, he made the call. I heard him speak, saw his eyes fill with tears; then he handed me the phone.

The first sergeant was on the line. “Robbie,” he said, “this afternoon at about 3 o’clock there was a bad automobile accident 22 miles west of Ritzville, involving your two oldest sons.”

There was an extremely long pause and then he spoke the words I will never forget: “Your son Drew is dead.”

I felt as if I were going to faint. I began to cry and soon I was in a state of disbelief and shock. My oldest son was gone before his 23rd birthday.

He was killed in a one-car rollover at a high speed, and alcohol was a factor. In addition, he was ejected from the vehicle because he wasn’t wearing his seat belt.

Please take a half second and ensure that all occupants in your vehicle buckle up. Believe me, it’s worth it.

MEMO: Your Turn is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion page. To submit a column for consideration, call Rebecca Nappi/459-5496, or Doug Floyd/459-5466.