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April 13, 2007

The Corzine Crash: Seat Belts Save Lives and Prevent Injuries

By Elizabeth M. Whelan, Sc.D., M.P.H.

New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine was severely injured last night when the SUV in which he was riding collided with another car, causing his vehicle to tear into a guardrail along the Garden State Parkway. The Governor was in the front passenger seat and was not wearing a seatbelt. As a result of the impact, Corzine was sent hurtling into the back seat of the car and suffered multiple serious injuries, including over a dozen broken bones and a leg injury that was so grave that his femur protruded from the skin of his thigh.

Not only was Governor Corzine not wearing a seat belt last night, but according to his staff, Corzine rarely used seat belts -- even though they are required by law in New Jersey for those in the front seat.

One is left with a puzzling but basic question: how could an intelligent, successful man not take such a simple step to protect his own life and health? Maybe there are some people who believe themselves to be invulnerable and immortal. I do not know. But what is clear is that if the Governor had been strapped in, he would have been held in place in his seat and would have avoided the secondary collisions that occurred when he was ejected from the seat.

Many years ago, we commented on the death of Princess Diana and how she would have survived the crash in the French tunnel had she been wearing a seat belt. In this latest incident, the moral of the story is the same: seat belts save lives and prevent serious injury. If Governor Corzine had been belted in, it is likely that his recovery from the accident could be measured in days or weeks, not months or years.

We wish the Governor a speedy and full recovery. And we hope that others will learn a lesson from this event and buckle up on a regular basis.


Dr. Elizabeth M. Whelan is president of the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH.org, HealthFactsAndFears.com).


Drawing of Todd Seavey


About the Editor:
Todd Seavey

is Director of Publications at ACSH and edits FactsAndFears.  His opinions are not necessarily ACSH's.

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