Wear a Seatbelt to Save Your Life Speech

Specific Purpose: I want to persuade my audience into wearing a seatbelt to drastically improve their chances of surviving a car accident.

Proposition Statement: You should always wear a seatbelt.

Introduction:

Lying in the morgue or a hospital bed is not the way we would like to see ourselves. Why then do so many drivers refuse to use safety belts when traveling by car? There are thousands of families affected yearly due to the loss of family members in car accidents. It is about time we encourage every driver to be safe and buckle up. CHANGE SLIDE

Transition: Many people simply do not realize the increase in survival rates among those wearing seatbelts involved in car accidents.

I. Wearing a seat belt drastically increases your chance of surviving a car crash.

a. STATISTIC: According to a 2007 study from the U.S department of Transportation, every 14 seconds someone is injured in traffic accidents in this country, and on average someone dies every 13 minutes.

b. Many of the young and inexperienced drivers cannot be persuaded into getting in the habit of wearing their seatbelts, and it might be due to the belief of invincibility.

i. STATISTIC: The statistics published in the 2008 Traffic Safety Annual Assessment, point out that teens have by far the highest fatality rates of motor vehicle crashes, more than any other age group.

ii. CURRENT EVENT: A couple of weeks ago on October 20, 17 year old Veronica Herold from Fountain Inn, South Carolina died, after she was partially ejected from her vehicle. According to the officials she was not wearing her seatbelt. Fortunately the two passengers riding with her were wearing theirs, and neither of them was hurt. This is only one of the many cases in which seatbelts have saved lives.

Transition: It is time we enforce the wearing of seat belts as an urgent priority. CHANGE SLIDE

II. You should always wear your seatbelt. TESTIMONY: Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood from the U.S. Department of Transportation said "Wearing a seat belt costs nothing, and yet it's the single most effective traffic safety device ever invented,"

a. DEFINITION: By definition a seatbelt is a belt used to hold an individual in their seat.

i. Many people modify the way in which they wear their seatbelt but using a shoulder belt without the lap belt or the other way around, which can put someone at an even greater risk for injuries than not wearing one at all. Injuries in the chest and abdominal areas are more common among the people who choose to wear their seat belts partially.

b. Seat belts are very helpful but they can be a bit uncomfortable cant they? And don't they some times mess up your clothes?

i. Firstly if this applies to you, check that