GENESEO — Officer Jeffrey Szczesniak presented Melanie Braun with the Geneseo Police Department’s “Saved by the Belt” award today. This award recognizes those drivers and passengers who were saved from serious injury or death by wearing or being in a safety restraint device when involved in a motor vehicle crash. In its ongoing effort to protect the motoring public, the Geneseo Police Department wants to increase the number of drivers and passengers wearing safety restraints at all times.
On Nov.30, Braun was driving on Route 39 in the Town of Perry when her vehicle slid off the road and rolled over. Melanie had her two young children in the car, ages 3 and 1. Both children were in child safety seats installed by the Geneseo Police Department. Braun was also restrained by a safety belt. It is believed that due to the occupants being properly restrained that no one in the vehicle was injured during this crash. In a Facebook post, Braun posted a photo of the crash and thanked Officer Szczesniak for showing her how to properly install the car seats.
More New Yorkers are wearing their safety belts than ever before. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that more than 14,000 lives are saved by safety belts each year and another 300 lives are saved by appropriate child restraints. However, there is still more work to do. It is estimated that sixty percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes were unrestrained.
The Geneseo Police Department would like to take this opportunity to remind motorist to make sure their occupants are properly restrained, especially during this holiday season. The Geneseo Police Department has two New York State certified safety seat installers (Officer Jeffery Szczesniak and Daniel Piedmonte). Our next child safety seat check event is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Geneseo Fire Hall on Center Street in Geneseo.