It’s not a hard thing to do. You sit down in your car, you start the ignition, and you reach across your left shoulder and strap on your seatbelt.

This weekend, at least 15 people were killed on Alabama roadways. Of those 15, only four were wearing seatbelts. In other words, people driving Alabama roads were too lazy to pull their seatbelts over their shoulders and they paid the ultimate price.

In less that two weeks from now, most young people in Alabama will head back to school. Before that opening bell, many families will rush off for one more vacation or family reunion. To us, it makes absolutely no sense for any person to ride in a vehicle without fastening a seatbelt.

The past weekend, the 15 fatalities represent the most Alabama has seen since 1997. During the July 4th holiday weekend, only six people were killed on state roads. And during the Christmas holiday last year, 14 people were killed.

The state of Alabama has worked hard for the past year to encourage people to buckle their seatbelts. This weekend, that obviously had no effect.

Frazier said people don’t believe seatbelts really save lives.

According to the Associated Press, most of the accidents that happened this weekend did not occur on major highways. Rather, they happened on county roads and city streets.

Here in Selma and Dallas County, we have plenty of those roads, and we have plenty of people who travel those roads. As responsible passengers and drivers &045;&045; not to mention, responsible parents and adults &045;&045; we must not take for granted the safety precautions put in place to help save lives.

A quick ride to the grocery store may not seem like a big ordeal, but if that trip ends in a body bag and a destroyed family, realize the ordeal you will cause to loved ones.