Transport Minister Ewart Brown says the news that the law prevents Police from issuing tickets on the spot to people not wearing seatbelts should not take away from the fact that the majority of people are obeying the new law.

He is right, at least for now. But what happens in the months ahead as people become aware that they risk very little punishment for not buckling up?

People will gradually stop putting their seatbelts on, in the same way that if speeding limits were not enforced, then speeds on the roads would creep up. It?s human nature.

Dr. Brown was rightly annoyed last week when he was interviewed on the issue. He noted that the Police have been involved in meetings for the last two years as the seatbelt law was drafted and enacted. It boggles the mind that only now are they saying that they cannot enforce it.

Clearly the system broke down and that is inexcusable. But what it is important now is that the law be fixed as soon as possible.

That?s not only because of human nature but because there still seems to be some resistance to the idea of wearing seatbelts.

Drivers who have spoken against it have shown the most extraordinary and reckless ignorance.

The public service advertisement showing what happens to the crash dummies when a car hits a wall at 25 miles per hour should be all the persuasion that people need to put their seatbelts on.

Yet some people still refuse to do so.

This is partly psychological. One of the things that made Bermuda different was the fact that drivers did not have to wear seatbelts. Another thing that made Bermuda different was the 20 mph speed limit.

But just as no one drives at 20 mph any more, so no one should feel safe without a seatbelt on.

That?s not because are a bad or dangerous driver. It?s because the person coming in the other direction (or in front or behind you) could be. And when get hit, your chances of injuries are greatly reduced if you are wearing a seatbelt.

It is true that a small percentage of road deaths each year occur to people in cars. But the level of car accidents and injuries from car accidents is high.

And wearing a seatbelt can be the difference between walking away form an an accident unscathed or with minor injuries ? or spending the rest of your life in a wheelchair.

To be sure, it is a sad day when Bermuda has to accept that it not that different from the rest of the world, but when it comes to road safety, that day has long passed.