07 – Snap-2-Live & Seat Belts: Where Safety and Fashion “Click” Together

Snap-2-Live

December 1, 2013 | Posted in Global Road Safety, Podcast Episodes | By

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A Conversation with Ernesto Arguello

Snap-2-Live

Ernesto Arguello wearing a Snap-2-Live belt

Ernesto Arguello is an international entrepreneur focused on creating new ventures that offer opportunities for others, which includes traveling everywhere to save lives with a “simple” message: Snap-2-Live.

Recognizing that traffic crashes are the number one killer of youth around the globe, Ernesto looked for a way to make a difference and stop the carnage.  One of the most effective and simplest ways he found is for everyone to buckle their seat belt when in a car.  However, being a proponent of encouraging youth to remember to fasten their seat belts can be challenging.  His solution?  Snap-2-Live.

Safety Belts and Snap-2-Live

Snap-2-Live is a belt worn for everyday activities that looks like a seat belt from a car.  Made of the same type of material but with bright colors, it stands out, and family and friends see it and ask what it represents.  By wearing the belt, it is Ernesto’s expectation that it will spark a discussion on the importance of wearing a seat belt, and create an easy reminder to use it in the car.

Snap-2-Live

Snap-2-Live Belt and packaging

Ernesto has a deep belief in the importance of education.  The son of refugees, he learned that education is something we can take with us anywhere we go—no matter what other possessions we do or do not have. That belief has driven his effort to educate everyone about seat belts.  The outside of the packaging for a Snap-2-Live belt asks for a pledge to “join the fight against road crashes” by:

  • Wearing a seat belt
  • Not drinking and driving
  • Not texting while driving, and
  • Respecting traffic signals

While raising awareness of road safety issues, Ernesto is also elevating communities in Latin America. Using education as a base, he is creating and building “sustainable communities that offer housing, infrastructure, education, health, recreation and entrepreneurial programs,” called Education Model Towns.

The Decade of Action for Road Safety

Snap 2 Live Launch

David and Ernesto at the Launch Network Event

Also in this episode, David Wallace, the Traffic Safety Guy, discusses global traffic safety issues and why the U.N. has declared 2011-2020 to be the Decade of Action for Road Safety.  From the research we know:

  • Road traffic crashes take the lives of nearly 1.3 million people every year, with almost half being pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
  • Between 20-50 million people are injured in crashes.
  • Road traffic injuries have become the leading cause of death for people 15–29 years of age

Failing to wear seat belts is one of the five critical risk factors identified by the United Nations in its effort to increase road safety. The other four are: speed, drink-driving, failing to wear helmets, and not using child restraints.  In other words, when worn, seat belts can lessen the impact of the other risk factors. For example, someone impaired from drink-driving but wearing a seat belt is more likely to survive a crash than someone who isn’t wearing one.

Wearing a seat belt is a critical road safety component. Snap-2-Live challenges everyone to make a fashion statement: always “click” the two ends together when in a car and save lives.

How have seat belts made a difference in your life?

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