Automobile Seat belts
• Standard vehicle equipment 1958
• Mandatory vehicle equipment 1968
• Mandatory use (front seat) 1983
• Seat belt reminders – 1974 Law prohibits NHTSA from requiring any seat belt reminder system from being more insistent than an 8 second warning light and buzzer. (Although not required, many manufacturers have enhanced this significantly.)
- The two-point lap belt: I am certain these became buried in seat cushions for the life of the vehicle since rarely did anyone use them.
- The fully automatic-wrap-around-you-when-the-door-closes 3-point system: Many of us got tangled up more than once.
- The attempted no-buckle-no-start system in the mid-70’s (which eventually lead to the 1974 law mentioned above)
- The 3-point belt/air-bag systems that's common today.
- And something relatively new, discussions regarding mandatory back seat use
Today, we have a variety of reminder systems attached to this equipment. My last car had lights and alarms. The alarm would start about 20 seconds into the drive with a couple of beeps. These would continue sporadically for maybe a minute or two.
Another example went a few steps further. The alarm would initiate at 15 mph and continue beeping faster and louder until such time as the driver complied. I never experimented to determine how long that might be, however. I mean, who could stand the racket!
But, since having a child around the time of legally mandated use, it became quite normal to use seat belts. It was routine and hardly noticeable. It seems that I’ve always worn seat belts.
I am currently driving a car that is now 16 years old. It’s in spectacular shape but the technology found in more recently crafted automobiles is noticeably absent. Since we’re talking seat belt use, the reminder in this car is a very quiet flashing light. It’s so small, you can barely see it. And I’ve noticed that when going short distances, it’s become tempting to by-pass the buckle. Just so you know, I always give in, annoying chime or not.
“What in the world does this have to do with God”, you ask.
Without the clanging bells, whistles or a speaker-fed audio in a woman’s mellow voice to remind a driver that the seat belt is not engaged, the pilot has a choice. To buckle or not to buckle, that is the question!
We call it free will. Good for you if use this safety feature. If not, well, you ‘probably’ won’t get a ticket and it’s not a ‘statistical probability’ that you’ll need it either.
A wee bit of hesitation was encountered before engaging my seat belt today. And, almost simultaneously, two thoughts came to mind.
- God has given us free will. Love isn’t love if we’re required to love.
- God is constantly chasing us down. He offers a relationship. He desires His children to be more Christ-like. We have the example and we have the choice to say, “I will follow”, or “I am not interested”.
His pursuit is never annoying with loud incessant bells and alarms.
In fact, He just might be the small, unobtrusive flashing light. It’s there if we bother to pay attention to it. And it never stops flashing.
We can choose to buckle up or we can choose to ignore the light.
“My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. John 10: 27-28
I guess there’s a third thing that comes to mind. God can be found anywhere.
Click…
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