The Way the Pros Roll

He’s a total gearhead.

If it runs on wheels, he’ll find a way to race it.
His truck is bigger, badder and bolder than any pickup you’ll see on the highway.

Little kids look at him in awe.

Bobby Holman, owner of Team Beast and driver of the Lucas Oil Stabilizer monster truck thrills thousands in his appearances at races across the country. With 1,600 horses under the hood and 27 years of competition under his belt, the man knows what he’s doing.

Holman would never dream of starting the engine of the Stabilizer – or his family SUV – without first buckling his seat belt. He says as much in the announcement he recorded for Missouri’s motorists.

It’s the way the pros roll.

Buckle up. ARRIVE ALIVE.

Still, Buckle Up

An article in the New York Times last Friday talks about new safety standards under discussion for vehicles that would help keep unbelted passengers from flying out of side windows. Car manufacturers would have to add additional or larger airbags to the side windows by 2017, costing approximately $31 per vehicle.

I appreciate the use of every technology available to make vehicles as safe as possible. Traffic statistics prove that ejection from a vehicle is far more likely to cause death or a very serious injury, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that these standards would save nearly 400 lives each year. Certainly, that's a good thing.

One worry, though -- will it make people feel too safe? Will they think that buckling up doesn't matter?

What do you think? Would this technology make you feel like seat belts aren't as necessary?

We hope that no matter what vehicle you're in and what standards are adopted, you'll take the three seconds to ensure you remain safely in place.