HELENA – This week was National Teen Driver’s Safety Week and Lewis and Clark County law enforcement wanted to emphasize the importance of buckling up, every trip, every time.
Friday night, Montana Highway Patrol presented two “Saved by the Belt” awards to young Montanans who survived a rollover crash on October 5 outside of Avon.
Officers said if Gabi Eodice and Michael Lavin had not wore their seat belts, the crash could have had a very different outcome.
Eodice and Lavin agreed.
“Buckle up, because it saves lives,” said Lavin. “We were in a really bad accident, and we wouldn’t be here without it.”
They said they learned to always buckle up when they were young, and now they want to spread awareness about the importance of seat belts.
“Even if you’re on a road trip and you’re crawling in the back to get something, make sure you have everything where you can reach it,” said Eodice. “In a second, something can happen you don’t plan for.”
“Part of our mission is to increase that use of restraints,” said Sgt. Jay Nelson, who’s also the chairman of the Lewis and Clark County DUI Task Force. “As I say, it’s the cheapest life insurance anybody could ever have.”
–Reported by Evelyn Schultz/MTN News
