Can you believe they want us to think that we're not as good as passenger vehicle drivers when it comes to buckling up? That's right! According to a national study, only 54% of us buckle up compared to 82% of passenger vehicle drivers. I don't believe it! At least I don't want to believe it. This I do believe - 634 commercial vehicle drivers lost their lives in 2004 and, of the 168 who were ejected, almost 75% were not wearing their safety belts. Maybe some of them were your friends!

Sure, most of us are good drivers. We're the professionals. We've had the training. But I don't care how good a driver you are - some things happen that are way out of your control! "Control" is what I'm talking about. Everyone wants to be in control but it is hard to do if you're bouncing around inside the cab or worse, flying out the windshield. If you wear your safety belt and there is a crash, at least you will have a better chance of keeping your vehicle under control and save yourself from injury or possibly even death. Wouldn't it be particularly sad if you lost your life in an accident because you weren't wearing your safety belt? How will your family and friends feel? Not only that. How can you convince others in your family to wear their belts when they know you don't wear yours? We all know they "do as we do, not as we say." Could you live with yourself if a friend, your child or grandchild died because of the example you failed to set? I couldn't.

So what about this 54 vs. 82 percent? I, for one, am going to prove them wrong. I'm wearing mine and I never miss an opportunity to remind my fellow drivers to wear theirs. Hey, we've got to stick together! After all, we're the professionals.

Let 'em run their study again. We'll show 'em!