Safety belts and the elderly
This is a reflection on the issue of safety belts and the elderly. As a nurse, I have encountered several individuals that believe that not wearing safety belts for a short traveling distance will have no effect whatsoever on the journey. My stand on this issue is that every individual should wear a safety belt no matter how short the distance is because one has no way of comprehending when an accident can occur. Therefore, it is better to be safe than sorry. So many people that lost their lives or had severe injuries about accidents said the same thing about safety belts, and it ended up costing them. I met a senior man who had the same view about safety belts while I was in Slatebelt for a clinical. He stated that he did not find it necessary to wear safety belts when driving locally especially when he was driving around Pen Argyl. He continued to state that he had to be careful not to be seen by the police since it is considered unlawful to travel in a car without a safety belt. This was a huge concern since he had previously told me that he had grandchildren. However, he told me that he wore a safety belt whenever he was in the car with his grandchildren. Studies conducted by the CDC suggest that young men between the age of 18 to 24 and men, in general, are less likely to wear safety belts in comparison to the elderly. The old man kept stating how safety belts can affect one’s body. This is true; however; a few injuries are preferable about losing one’s life. Some of the injuries associated with safety belts include; laceration of the colon, small bowel, stomach, liver, and spleen. Injuries can also occur in the pancreas, as well as major vascular injuries and spinal cord injuries. In my opinion, safety belts should be worn no matter how short the distance.