“Jack’s Story”, 1984, Louisville Productions, sponsored by American Insurance Association, Directed by Richard McCluney, Camera Steve Doss.

Recaps the experience of Jack Burnett, a quadriplegic who has become nationally recognized for presentations to students about his car accident as a teenager. Profiles a courageous individual while urging teenagers to drive with care

Appears to be the story of a man named Jack Burnett who was in a catastrophic car accident as a young man, and ended up as a paraplegic. He works as a motivational speaker in high schools.

“Why should I wear my seat belt? I’m not going to have an accident.” — Jack Burnett

Most of us feel the way Jack Burnett

did before his auto accident 20 years ago.

And, granted, most auto trips are made

safely. But consider: each year more than

50,000 people die and nearly two million

others suffer disabling injury in motor vehicle accidents. That’s the equivalent of a

death every Io minutes and a disabling

injury every 76 seconds of every day.

By far the largest number of those

deaths and injuries are suffered by young

people 15 -24 years of age. That’s why Jack

Burnett talks to teenagers and tells them

how costly carelessness behind the wheel

can be.

Since 1970, under our Association’s

sponsorship, Jack has stressed highway

safety to hundreds of thousands of high

school students. “I speak from my wheelchair so others may walk;’ he says.

Jack’s message, of course, is much

about what not to do. Don’t speed. Don’t

race. Don’t treat a car like a toy.

But one piece of advice is positive…

something teenagers can do. Something all

of us should do. Use seat belts.

Jack Burnett knows that only Io percent of the drivers and passengers fasten

their seat belts. He also knows what can

happen when a driver is thrown from behind the wheel and loses complete control

of the car.

If Jack had been wearing a seat belt

that night long ago…well, it’s too late for

that now

But it’s not too late for you.