It has been proven time and time again, seat belts save lives. But sometimes it takes a personal tragedy to understand the real truth of a maxim. Last year, someone very close to me had an unimaginable car wreck and one of the three passengers in the car was killed on impact because she wasn’t wearing a seat belt.

21,022 people died in 2014 from not wearing their seat belts and every one of them was a brother, a sister, a daughter or son, husband or wife or child of someone. It is a simple task that many seem to overlook even though there are countless campaigns saying how a two or three second precaution can save a life. Every bit of it is true.

The passenger in that car wreck last year may have survived initial impact if she had her belt on while she was sleeping. Seat belts are designed to keep passengers safe. That’s what they were invented for. Say maybe you are in a rush one morning and you have class in 20 minutes and you live at least 15 minutes away. When you start your car, do you trust in the ability of other people to drive safely and not crash into you? Or do you risk being a second or two late but ensuring you have the safety of a seat belt in case the unthinkable happens?

Not wearing a seat belt may be “easier” and “more comfortable”, but it’s not worth risking your neck for comfort. If it can keep you on this Earth longer, use it to your advantage: don’t be ignorant of the facts. People die from not wearing their seat belts, that is the cold hard truth.

Teens need to start noticing this now. Stop the calamity before it hits too close to home or even puts your own life on the line.

Be smart. Think through your actions while in your motor vehicle; it could very well save your life.