My brother died when I was ten. He had cancer, and I couldn’t stop it. I couldn’t prevent his death, no matter how much I wished I could. But you, on the other hand, have the power to protect your child from an avoidable tragedy. There’s one simple step you can take to potentially save your child’s life: buckle their seatbelt.

I know, some of you may be thinking, “This doesn’t apply to me” or “What’s the big deal?” But the reality is, I see too many children not buckled up when they should be. I understand that we can’t control everything, and as adults, we sometimes make poor decisions. We text and drive, we take risks. But children shouldn’t have to pay for the careless mistakes of their parents.

Consider this: in 2023, a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that 30% of children aged 0-3 and 36% of children aged 8-12 who died in car crashes were not wearing seatbelts. These aren’t just numbers; they are young lives that could have been saved with a simple click of a seatbelt.

Every time I see a child standing up in a car or sitting on a parent’s lap, I cringe. Just the other day, I was driving on the highway, and there was a woman with her toddler on her lap in the driver’s seat. One wrong move, and she could’ve lost her child, and possibly her own life, too. I’ve also seen children standing unbuckled in cars. One short stop and their lives could be cut tragically short.

You might think I’m exaggerating, but the truth is, seatbelts save lives. For a few extra seconds, you can make sure your child is safely buckled in. It’s not just about obeying the law; it’s about valuing your child’s life. And what message are you sending them if you don’t bother? That their safety doesn’t matter?

Hashem has given us the responsibility to protect our children. Not buckling them up is ignoring that responsibility. You wouldn’t let your child run into traffic or play with fire—so why leave them unbuckled in a moving vehicle? We are supposed to do our part—our hishtadlus—by taking practical steps to ensure safety, like buckling a seatbelt. We do our part, and then we trust in Hashem to protect us.

This isn’t about judgment or pointing fingers. It’s about a heartfelt plea to parents: please buckle up your kids. I couldn’t save my brother, but you can save your child with something as simple as a seatbelt.

Don’t wait until it’s too late.

Signed,

Anonymous

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