By Alice Laizure
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| Alice Laizure |
The majority of us do it every day. It is just part of our
daily routine. Getting in to our car and driving, to work, school, activities,
etc.
Recently, on Aug. 6 at 12:15 p.m. to be exact, I learned
the hard way just how important seat belts are in our everyday commuting.
As I was exiting I-470 on the Fairlawn Street ramp in
Topeka, I was going straight across Fairlawn to the second light, so I could
turn left and go west on to 29th Street. I saw no cars, anywhere in site, when
suddenly to my right, out of nowhere there was a black vehicle heading south on
Fairlawn. There was no time to react; all I could think was, where did that car
come from? And BOOM, a strong hit on my
passenger side, and I began rolling. Holding on for dear life, and praying. My
head banging over and over on my left side. My car had rolled three times,
before coming to rest on its side. When my car stopped rolling, I was hanging
in my car by my seat belt.
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| Alice's vehicle after it rolled three times. |
Fortunately, for me, my seat belt had saved my life. The
Fire Department arrived, extracted me from my car and I was whisked away in an
ambulance to the hospital. At the hospital scans were taken, and I had no
broken bones or internal injuries. The doctor
at the Emergency Room told me I was very, very lucky to not have sustained very
serious injuries from my accident. The doctor said I had entire body whiplash.
I consider myself very lucky to have walked away the same day, bruised,
battered and in a lot of pain, but not critically injured.
Today I still feel a bit out of it (probably a concussion),
and have pain from bruised ribs and back pain.
Luckily, my face is no longer black and blue, and I went back to work
two weeks later, working half days.
My message to everyone is, never drive your car without
first making sure you and everyone in your car is buckled up. Please, buckle up without thinking twice
about it, because the simple act of buckling up can mean the difference between
life and death.
Drive safely.
Alice
Laizure works for the Kansas Department of Corrections in Topeka.
