Time To Buckle Up

Since the Sept. 12th train crash in Chatsworth which claimed 27 lives, officials have been debating the cause of the accident. With the events still fresh in our minds, the same officials would do students and the public a favor by making seatbelts on public transportation a law.

Students crisscross Los Angeles every day while using the Metro system to get to and from school. With gas prices continually on the rise and the escalating parking problems within Valley, many see public transportation as a cheap, reliable and safe alternative. While the lack of seatbelts may seem trivial, we can't afford to put it to the back of our thoughts any longer.

Many of those that were killed or injured endured pain we cannot imagine. According to police officials, many were thrown from their seat with staggering force. Passengers were slammed against steel, some becoming lodged underneath a trapped, smoldering carriage.

"They have head injuries, multiple facial fractures, chest trauma, collapsed lungs, rib fractures, pelvic fractures, leg and arm fractures, cuts in the skin and soft tissue. Some have blood in the brain," said Amal K. Obaid, a surgeon who treated some of the victims according to Fox News.

The images we conjure up in our own minds, not to mention those we witnessed on our TV screens, are tragic but the real tragedy lies in whether the death toll could've been avoided for the sake of a few dollars.

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration belt systems reduce the risk of fatality and serious injury by 50 percent.

Staggering statistics tell their own story about the advantages of seatbelts in automobiles, but although the figure is startling, many argue traveling by train is the safest option and does not warrant the introduction of a buckle system.

The Chicago Tribune stated that Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa joined early morning commuters on the Chatsworth metrolink route the morning after the crash, attempting to ease current fears. "Safety has to be our No. 1 concern," said Villaraigosa. Taking the train is still the safest option for commuters."

Train tragedies still occur. Though airline disasters are also a rarity, every seat on aircraft must be fitted with a seat buckle. Our metro system should be treated no different.

Though ideas of better safety upon board often come up during these tragic events, time seems to ease the worry and unease of us all, as we get back to our daily lives.

While we begin to forget about the tragedy, the issue of safety should be in the forefront of our minds. With those seatbelts in place, who knows what could've been prevented. With even one life saved, most would agree, it would've been worth it.