Скачать или смотреть Seconds that save lives: A Gahanna family’s plea for Ohio to strengthen seatbelt laws

It only takes a few seconds to buckle up — a decision that can mean the difference between life and death. For Brock Dietrich, those seconds are a painful reminder of what might have been for his daughter, Sydnee.

Sydnee Dietrich, a 17-year-old junior at Gahanna Lincoln High School and Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical Schools, was driving on state Route 161 near Beech Road on October 18, 2013, when she reached for her phone. Her car flipped multiple times across oncoming traffic.

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Sydnee, who was not wearing her seatbelt, was ejected from the vehicle and died two days later. Her two passengers, both wearing seatbelts, survived.

“We set down the rules — you need to wear your seatbelt — but we didn’t explain why it was so important,” Brock said.

10TV requested the latest data from the Ohio State Highway Patrol as it pertains to teen driving fatalities when seatbelts were not in use.

In 2021, the percentage of teen drivers killed in crashes without a seatbelt was 63%. That number fell to 53% in 2022 and rose slightly to 57% in 2023. By 2024, the number skyrockets to 81%. The four year average is 62%, according to OSHP records.

“If you buckle up, there is a 75% you are going to survive," said Pam Shadel Fischer of the Governors Highway Safety Association.

“Secondary laws don’t work as well as primary, so what we’re saying in Ohio (is) you need a primary law,” Fischer said.

Ohio is one of just 15 states where not wearing a seatbelt is a secondary offense, meaning police cannot pull drivers over solely for being unbelted.

Gov. Mike DeWine has called for a change, advocating for a primary seatbelt law that would allow officers to stop drivers just for not buckling up, but legislative support remains elusive.

“It’s the easiest way. The simplest thing we can do, frankly, is to have a mandatory seatbelt law in the state of Ohio,” DeWine said.

Former state trooper and current State Rep. Kevin Miller knows the consequences firsthand.

“It’s the worst part of the job,” Miller said, recalling the times he had to notify families that a loved one would not be coming home.

Despite efforts to pass stricter laws, concerns over personal liberties and fears of discriminatory enforcement have stalled progress, Miller said. Lawmakers point out the inconsistency: texting and driving is a primary offense, but not wearing a seatbelt isn't.

A task force commissioned by DeWine in 2024 found that seatbelt use in Ohio lags behind most states, with only 85.2% of drivers buckling up below the national average of 91.2% for 2023.

DeWine told 10TV he estimates that raising Ohio’s seatbelt use by just 10 percentage points could save dozens of lives each year.

On May 28, DeWine announced the launch of a new media campaign to encourage parents to spend quality time practicing safe driving skills with their new teen drivers. Helpful links for parents include the following: Teach Your Teen to Drive and Driver Training Video Library.

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study shows that states with primary seatbelt laws see higher compliance rates, especially among new and young drivers.

The message, advocates say, is simple: Buckling up is not just a rule — it’s a lifesaving habit.

“Those laws communicate to new teen drivers what we place importance on, so when we say we want you to wear your seatbelt but you won't be pulled over if you don't have it on, that communicates that it's not that important," Brock added.

For the Dietrich family, the loss is permanent, but their hope is that Sydnee’s story will serve as a wake-up call for others.

“If she had her seatbelt on, she would be with us here today,” Brock said.