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Real people. Real stories. Read how wearing their seat belts saved these Cleveland residents.
Amanda was 'Saved by the Belt'
She's four years old and full of life. But not long ago, I came close to losing my daughter Amanda in a traffic crash, and she came close to losing me.
We were running errands near home when we were hit from behind by a druck driver. Because of one simple choice, we walked away - even though our car was totaled.
I made the choice to buckle up and made sure Amanda was snugly buckled in her booster seat. It's terrifying to think of how close we came to losing much more than our car.
That's why my family buckles up. What will you do the next time you get in your car?
"They found my shoe 10 feet from my car. Luckily, I wasn't in it."
Shaker Heights residents Jamieson, Charles and Anissa Reynolds were driving home on the highway when they hit a patch of ice, sending the car airborne. After flipping end over end with enough force to tear Charles' shoe from his foot, the car finally came to rest upside down by the side of the road.
Because they had all been wearing seatbelts, the three teens were shaken, but not seriously injured.
"A lot of my friends don't wear seatbelts, because they say it's not cool," says Charles. "I tell them that it's pretty cool to be alive."
"I won't even leave my garage without buckling up."
It was Richard Turner's firm belief in safety belts that saved the lives of his wife and himself.
When Richard and his wife Bonnie were driving home to Mayfield from Dayton, a car cut them off and ran their car off the road. When they finally came to a stop, they were shaken, but had suffered only minor injuries.
Later, when the state trooper arrived, he surveyed the scene and told the couple that they were "lucky to be alive".
Richard, 71, believes in luck but also believes in safety belts.
What the Turners can't believe is that more Clevelanders don't buckle their safety belts. "I buckle up even before I start my car. So should you".
If you have a Saved by the Belt story that you'd like to share, please call Buckle Down Cleveland at 216-844-1235.
She's four years old and full of life. But not long ago, I came close to losing my daughter Amanda in a traffic crash, and she came close to losing me.
We were running errands near home when we were hit from behind by a druck driver. Because of one simple choice, we walked away - even though our car was totaled.
I made the choice to buckle up and made sure Amanda was snugly buckled in her booster seat. It's terrifying to think of how close we came to losing much more than our car.
That's why my family buckles up. What will you do the next time you get in your car?
"They found my shoe 10 feet from my car. Luckily, I wasn't in it."
Shaker Heights residents Jamieson, Charles and Anissa Reynolds were driving home on the highway when they hit a patch of ice, sending the car airborne. After flipping end over end with enough force to tear Charles' shoe from his foot, the car finally came to rest upside down by the side of the road.
Because they had all been wearing seatbelts, the three teens were shaken, but not seriously injured.
"A lot of my friends don't wear seatbelts, because they say it's not cool," says Charles. "I tell them that it's pretty cool to be alive."
"I won't even leave my garage without buckling up."
It was Richard Turner's firm belief in safety belts that saved the lives of his wife and himself.
When Richard and his wife Bonnie were driving home to Mayfield from Dayton, a car cut them off and ran their car off the road. When they finally came to a stop, they were shaken, but had suffered only minor injuries.
Later, when the state trooper arrived, he surveyed the scene and told the couple that they were "lucky to be alive".
Richard, 71, believes in luck but also believes in safety belts.
What the Turners can't believe is that more Clevelanders don't buckle their safety belts. "I buckle up even before I start my car. So should you".
If you have a Saved by the Belt story that you'd like to share, please call Buckle Down Cleveland at 216-844-1235.Copyright 2002 by NewsNet5. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
