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Editorial
Safety Center has great idea for Valentine's Day
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
A card? A box of chocolates? A night out at a nice restaurant?
Those are all great ways to show someone you love them on Valentine's Day, but they're by no means the only way.
We think the Nebraska Safety Center at Kearney has another great idea, one that works both for ourselves and those we love.
The center is promoting the "Buckle Up for Love" program, linking seatbelt usage to Valentine's Day the same way fire safety officials linked checking smoke alarm batteries to changing clocks for daylight saving time.
"We hope that drivers will show how much they care about their passenger by being sure everyone is safely buckled in," said Sherry Morrow, Nebraska Safety Center Director. "It may not sound particularly romantic on the surface, but the message is clear."
It shouldn't be a hard point to make; statistics show that more than 70 percent of people who die in passenger vehicle accidents in the state are not buckled up. There were 26 more fatalities involving passenger vehicles in Nebraska in 2012 than there were in 2011, but of those 26, only one was wearing a seatbelt.
So go ahead and buy the flowers and movie tickets, but don't be afraid to remind your loved one -- gently but firmly -- to buckle up, and start with yourself.
If you've got a smartphone, we think this video gets the point across: