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'Seat belts for thee but not for me'; Unbuckled police pay with their lives

Nationwide, about 40% of police officers killed in auto accidents on the job weren't wearing their seatbelts, according to an excellent story by Moises Mendoza at the Houston Chronicle ("Unbuckled but unbowed," March 1). What's more, because of conservative data definitions used by the paper, the 40% number significantly "undercounts the number of officers killed while unbuckled." Reports Mendoza: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...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on March 01, 2010 (boomark / email).