THE police locally are to mount a crackdown on people who don't wear seatbelts in the car - as you'll know if you've been doing the sensible thing and buying the Echo every day.

We had someone do a quick count outside the office the other day, and out of 50 cars which went past, 10 drivers weren't buckled up.

This didn't surprise me at all, because I have become a bit obsessed with the subject.

I'd already noticed that an awful lot of people going around with nothing to prevent them slamming against the windscreen in the event of an accident. And I can't help wondering: How can people be so stupid?

Is it that buckling up is such an onerous and time-consuming business? I don't think so, because there are quite a few people who pull the belt halfway across them in an unconvincing attempt to fool police officers into thinking they're wearing it. Surely that must be more trouble than just putting the thing on properly.

Is it that they think their car is so safe or their driving so good that they don't need a belt? Maybe so, because you certainly seem to see a disproportionate number of luxury car drivers going about unrestrained.

Or maybe it's just that they think wearing a seatbelt is a bit soft? I guess people in action shows like Starsky and Hutch never did it. (Mind you, they never wound the windows up or locked the doors either.) Maybe some drivers think you're not really enjoying the full thrill of the road unless you're running the risk of hitting a pane of glass at high speed.

I don't get this attitude. Am I alone in thinking that driving is a dangerous enough business as it is and doesn't need an extra element of risk to keep it interesting?

The older I get, the more aware I become that driving is the biggest gamble we take with our personal safety. That's why I tend to stick to speed limits and not have any objects lying around the car that I wouldn't want hitting me in the face at 70mph.

Of course, you might take the view that if someone wants to experience the horror of a road accident with no seat restraint, that's their own affair and that the police have more pressing demands on their time.

Well, maybe. But perhaps some people just have to be saved from themselves.

First published: April 6