I want to respond to John Frary’s March 8 column, “If threat of death won’t make people use seat belts, why should a fine?” in which he spoke in favor of L.D. 112.

It is true that a seat belt is our only protection from a drunken driver, but Frary’s victim story missed one of the reasons why we wear seat belts. He forgot that not only do seat belts protect the driver and passenger by keeping them seated in front of the air bags, but they also help keep the driver, who is maneuvering to avoid a collision, from sliding sideways away from the steering wheel and brakes.

This is why pilots use seat belts, to keep them positioned behind the controls when the airplane hits an air pocket or swerves.

Robert Gross, Gardiner