WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- A police chief who was nearly killed in a head-on collision in Washington Township, Westmoreland County, says his seat belt saved his life.

Township police Chief Scott Slagle now calls himself the poster "chief" for seatbelt use.

A young man trying to pass a car in a blind spot on Route 66 in October ended up hitting Slagle's police cruiser.

"Out of nowhere, I saw a blue car in front of me," said Slagle on Friday. "Combined speeds were over 100 mph, and we hit head-on."

The seat belt kept Slagle inside his car, but the other driver suffered serious injuries when he went through the windshield of his vehicle.

Slagle told his story in front of a crowd of officers who are spreading the word about Seat Belt Safety Month in May.

State police said the best way to survive an accident is to keep yourself inside the cavity of the car, which is considered to be the safety zone. They said the only way to do that is to fasten your seat belt.

Slagle suffered knee and rib injuries, but he walked away from the accident.

Not everyone is so lucky. There have been 10 fatal accidents in the Pittsburgh area this year that the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said could have been prevented if the drivers would have been wearing their seat belts.

"Everything we hear as excuses: 'Oh, I'm only going a mile, I'm a safe driver,'" said Slagle. "That day, I was only going one mile. I'm a safe driver, but the other people on the road, are they? And are you willing to bet your life on it?"

Nearly 90 percent of Pennsylvanians wear their seat belts regularly. Slagle said his goal is to change that to 100 percent.

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