DR. WALLACE: I'm mad as heck and writing to you to let off some steam! Last week, I was ticketed by our friendly police for driving without my seatbelt fastened. Big deal! First of all, I'm not convinced that seatbelts worn properly actually save lives or lessen injuries during a collision.

I have a friend whose father burned to death while riding in a car that overturned and caught on fire. He couldn't unbuckle his seatbelt and died because he was belted into an inferno.

If I choose to l drive unbuckled, why must the government tell me I must do otherwise? If I happened to die because I wasn't buckled in, I'd have no one to blame but myself. You always read how many lives are saved by wearing seatbelts, but I never read how many people would be alive if they hadn't been belted in. Do you know? — Ashton, Elkhart, Ind.

ASHTON: I don't have that statistic, but what you describe, while it has a grip on your imagination, is a relative rarity. However, an enormous number of people have had their lives saved, or the extent of their injuries reduced, because they were belted in.

Please read the following letter from a reader who credits a seatbelt with saving his life. I hope Brad's letter inspires you to buckle up:

DR. WALLACE: I didn't believe in wearing a seatbelt when riding in a car. I was too lazy to buckle up, and I wasn't sure that seatbelts saved lives. The only reason I started wearing one regularly was because I received two tickets for not doing so, and faced a $300 fine for my next offense. Thank goodness I got those tickets! They actually saved my life!

Two years ago, I was involved in a very serious accident. My car was demolished and started to burn. I was wearing my seatbelt and I'm told by the highway patrol that I probably would have been killed if I hadn't been belted.

Without my seatbelt, I would have been thrown from the car or knocked unconscious. In either case, my death was a distinct possibility. If I had been unconscious inside a burning vehicle, I would have been unable to save myself.

What happened was that after the automobile stopped spinning it started burning. Fortunately, I was conscious, unhooked my seatbelt, and walked away from the burning automobile. My total injuries were a bruised knee and two cracked ribs. Believe me, wearing seatbelts can save lives. I'm living proof! — Brad, Anaheim, Calif.

THE FILM INDUSTRY GETS A 'C' GRADE

DR. WALLACE: I enjoy movies and see at least one film every weekend. Since I'm 19, I am not restricted and can see any movie I choose. I have been reading your column for quite some time and I remember you once said that many films were trashy and people — especially teens — shouldn't waste their good money or time watching them. Do you still feel that way? — Tyler, Lincoln, Nebr.

TYLER: Some films are extremely well made and worth seeing. The best are great and well worth the price of admission; they have much to teach us about the human condition, and are also highly entertaining.

Such films are the exception, but I do think filmmakers have improved their product in the last few years. They can, and sometimes do, develop a plot without a torrent of filthy language, grotesque violence, and unabashed lust. As a teacher, I'd give the film industry a grade of C-minus. That's up from a D-minus a few years ago! When they move up to a B, I'll start going more frequently.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. E-mail him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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