In the Spotlight, the Politics of Buckling Up

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: In the Spotlight, the Politics of Buckling Up
By LISA W. FODERARO and KEN BELSON
Published: April 14, 2007


The governor of New Jersey, Jon S. Corzine, got into an S.U.V. in Pottstown, Pa., on Thursday, after attending the funeral of Barry Lee Bush, the F.B.I agent killed last week. Mr. Corzine’s crash occurred later that day.
(Matt Rourke/Associated Press)

As constituents and public officials wished Gov. Jon S. Corzine of New Jersey a full recovery from his injuries in a car accident, many were shaking their heads that someone who is so smart, and has so much to lose, would put himself at risk by apparently not wearing a seat belt.

Such was the surprise that the issue became an instant corollary to the main news that Mr. Corzine had been so seriously injured, with multiple broken bones, that he needs help breathing from a ventilator and faces months of rehabilitation.

In interviews and on the Web, people in New Jersey and from around the country expressed incredulity over the state police superintendent’s statement that the governor routinely refused to wear a seat belt. Some accused the Democratic governor of hypocrisy, even arrogance. A few called for his resignation.

Many said that if it turns out that Mr. Corzine was not wearing a seat belt when the crash occurred, he should receive a citation for violating the state’s mandatory seat belt law. The fines are $20 and court costs are $26 per violation. Others wondered why the state trooper driving the car did not insist that he wear one....

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Safety organizations, in the meantime, cited the severity of Mr. Corzine’s injuries as further evidence of the importance of seat belts.

“It’s unfortunate and tragic and another very high-profile reminder that we still have a ways to go to convince some people to wear their belts,” said John Ulczycki, executive director of transportation safety at the National Safety Council....

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/14/nyregion/14belt.html