Saved by the belt
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ARLEE — One of the first things junior Skyla Perry learned in her driver’s education class at Arlee High School saved her life. Before adjusting her mirrors or making sure she signaled before making a left; the most important step was to always buckle up. It was a habit Skyla and Shaylee practiced and knew was important, but the day after Christmas, the sisters learned first-hand just how valuable.
“That’s the first thing (Sue Carney) said to do was put on a seatbelt,” said Perry, referring to her driver’s education teacher’s instruction.
It has been less than a month since Skyla and Shaylee, an eighth-grader, survived a one-car rollover accident, which occurred in Dixon, as they were traveling to Charlo to visit relatives.
Though the driving conditions were good at the time, all it took was a few seconds of not paying attention to cause a problem. Skyla briefly left the roadway and started driving through slush on the side of the road. Inexperience made Skyla overcorrect, but knowledge saved the sisters’ lives. The vehicle rolled twice and landed on its wheels. Speeding was not a factor, but the force was enough to knock Shaylee’s shoes and socks off, which ended up 20 yards away from the car.
“It was definitely the scariest (experience) of my life,” said Skyla. “I know people who have gotten into wrecks and weren’t wearing seatbelts. Now I’m more cautious and make sure everyone in the car is wearing a seatbelt.”
Before the accident, Shaylee always made sure she was buckled, but she would like to spread that message to her peers.
“I would definitely tell (everyone) to wear their seatbelt no matter what.” Shaylee said. “And if you do have the chance to take Driver’s Education, take it.”
“It was every parent’s worst nightmare,” said the girls’ mother, Bridget Fiddler, referring to the frantic phone call from her daughters that followed. “Luckily they were wearing seatbelts.”
Single vehicle, run-off-the-road crashes, like the one the Perry sisters were in, cause more than 60 percent of the fatalities in Montana because of ejection from the vehicle. In 2003, almost seven out of every 10 vehicle occupants who died in Montana were not wearing seatbelts.
Nationally, in 2000, seat belts prevented 11,889 fatalities and approximately 325,000 serious injuries. In 2000, more than 9,200 people were killed and 143,000 were injured because they failed to wear their safety belts, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Skyla and Shaylee were honored with a Saved by the Belt award at halftime during the Arlee vs. Charlo girls’ basketball game. Skyla is also a member of the Arlee Scarlets’ basketball team. Montana Highway Patrol trooper Jim Sanderson nominated the Perry sisters for the Saved by the Belt program, which recognizes motor vehicle drivers whose lives are saved or injuries significantly reduced because they were wearing a safety belt at the time of a crash. The idea behind the award is to increase public awareness on the benefits of safety belt use.
“It’s the ultimate safety rule in the car,” Carney said. “Your car is definitely a monster if you don’t use it safely.
She pointed out that vehicles are built with a reinforced safety cage to protect the occupants in a crash, so there is enough room to live if you stay in the vehicle properly buckled up.
“The reality is that car wrecks are going to happen no matter your age,” she said. “(Skyla and Shaylee) are here today because of their habit, and it sends a message not just to kids, but to the community.”
