You don't want to die, so belt up

LAST Thursday morning, I was heading for the Taradale hills to check out the big Mission Estate forest-logging operation.

I was on Prebensen Drive and nearing the roundabout which has Puketitiri Rd spearing off from it.

And the cellphone rang.

There were dotted yellow lines on the roadway ... no stopping.

I figured the phone would ring for about nine seconds before going on answerphone, and it would take a lot longer than nine seconds to traverse the roundabout and get on to Puketitiri Rd, where I could pull over to take the call.

Nine seconds isn't a long time, of course - these days that's how long it takes to put $30 of petrol into the car.

So I pulled over, across the yellow lines, and mounted the grass verge.

The alternative was picking it up and answering it while driving - which is against the law.

Interestingly, and fittingly I guess, the call was from one of the law lads at Eastern Police in Napier.

"You driving?" he asked in mock admonishment.

"Just pulled over," I replied.

"Good thing, because we're watching you," he said sternly.

It went silent for a moment then he added, "naaa, just kidding", and then got on to the reason for the call.

I am one of those people who take a law change seriously.

Pre-phone ban I had driven and used one without any problems, because having been brought up on motorcycles, my perception of road safety is a pretty heightened one.

But when they say no, then that's it.

Same for seatbelts.

I don't click it on simply because if I don't it will cost me $150 if I get caught not wearing it. I click it on because if something bad happens I've got a chance of walking away.

Same for our kids. They grew up knowing the first thing they had to do when getting into a car was put the seatbelt on. Now adults, they do it automatically.

I can't believe that in the early 1970s I once rode a motorcycle capable of 150km/h without a helmet.

It was not until 1973 they became compulsory.

During the 80s, I was involved in two crashes which caused damage to the helmet I was wearing at the time.

I'd hate to think ...

So I am continually amazed, and unsettled, to hear that people are still apparently comfortable with the idea of being unrestrained in a car.

Is the dreadful "it'll never happen to me" attitude still strongly enmeshed in Kiwidom?

If so, then it's frightening.

Equally frightening, even amazing, was being told by one police officer that many of those they rightly nab and fine will argue the point and ask "why are you picking on me?"

The alternative, you idiot, is probably picking you up off the road.