According to a recent article in the Houston Chronicle many cops say they are not following their own advice and wearing seat belts while on the job.  According to the article:



Dozens of officers across the country have died in crashes while not wearing seat belts in recent years — at least 64 between 2004 and 2008 alone, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data analyzed for the Houston Chronicle. About 40 percent of officers killed in wrecks during that time period weren't buckled up, the analysis showed.



In Texas, the numbers are similarly stark. Five of the 13 officers killed statewide since 2007 in car crashes while on duty have been unbuckled, the Chronicle found after reviewing Texas Department of Transportation crash reports. The most recent unbuckled officer traffic fatality in Texas was in Burnet County last October. Frank Cantu, killed in a 2004 wreck while unbuckled, was the last member of the Houston Police Department to die in a crash.It's impossible to know how many of those officers could have been saved if they had buckled up, although one study says officers were nearly three times more likely to die in car crashes with their belts off.



But officers and administrators say police culture can sometimes discourage their use.

Some officers worry that their belts could hinder them if they have to exit quickly to confront a suspect — a seat belt can easily get tangled on a holster. Others fret they'll be unable to control violent prisoners while buckled up.

“You can't uphold the law if you're not wearing them,” said Houston Police officer Joe Sanchez, who said he always wears a seat belt.

Other measures to address the problem, experts say, include increased training on the importance of seat belts and how to get out of them quickly.

New technology could also dispel officers' fears about getting stuck in their belts. Dietrich von Kuenssberg Jehle, an author of the 2005 Journal of Trauma study, suggests a belt that would automatically release each time a cruiser is put in park.

There is an interesting article at ABC News website about the danger of old tires and how some states are trying to pass laws to disclose the age of tires. Outdated tires can be responsible for catastrophic failures...



The article can be read here:







http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=7327783&page=1