Darlene
Root can attest to the fact that a seat belts save lives.
Hers is one that was saved.
Root
has shared her story through radio and television ads
as part of a May “Click It, Don’t Risk It!”
campaign designed to convince more Idahoans to buckle
up.
Darlene,
her daughter, son-in-law and 2-year-old grandson were
on a family trip when they realized firsthand
the value of wearing seatbelts.
Daughter
Jennie was at the wheel. As she attempted to pass another
vehicle on a two-lane highway, she felt the steering
wheel begin to shake. Within seconds she lost complete
control of the vehicle. The car rolled 3-1/2 times before
coming to a stop.
Just
minutes before the accident, Darlene noticed that her
son-in-law Blake was not wearing his seatbelt. But she
decided not to mention it.
“I
didn’t want to be the stereotypical nagging mother-in-law,”
she recalls.
Shortly
after they had crossed from Nevada into Oregon, he decided
to fasten his seatbelt after seeing a “Click It
or Ticket” sign along the highway. It was a life-saving
decision.
“I
don’t even want to think about what might have
happened if I hadn’t seen that sign and fastened
my seatbelt,” Blake confesses. “This was a
huge wake-up call. I’m very lucky to be alive.”
