Question:
I have a question about recklessness. If you don’t wear your seatbelt in general would this be considered recklessness? If I were trying to put my coat on while at a red light then it turns green and we start moving while I am still putting my coat on, is this considered recklessness? Mind you I am not driving and trying to put a jacket on and if that were the case then I would understand why that would be reckless.
Thank you.
Answer:
“Reckless” means acting without thinking or caring about the consequences. It would be the opposite of what the Bible calls “prudence.” “Prudence” is the ability to think ahead and see when current actions are likely to lead. “A prudent man sees evil and hides himself, the naive proceed and pay the penalty” (Proverbs 27:12).
The reason for seatbelts is that people have found that you are more likely to survive and suffer less physical harm if your body stays within the protective shell of an automobile. The difficulty is that you don’t know exactly when you are going to need your seatbelt. While you (or your parent) can control the car safely, you can’t guarantee that other drivers are being safe. For example, my own father was in a wreck while at a stoplight. A person two cars behind him wasn’t paying attention, and then panicked, hitting the gas pedal instead of the brake and causing a four-car pile-up. Prudence says to be prepared, just in case.
One of the difficulties with being a teenage male is that the part of the brain that does the calculations on risk assessments is one of the last regions to mature. This is why male teens are notorious for taking unnecessary risks or find themselves doing things with unintended consequences.