Mother Advocates For Seat Belt Use After Losing Son In Accident

Shelly Williams has a photo of her late son Cody Bolin framed in her office. Every time she looks at it, she's reminded of the car accident that took him away 17 years ago. 

"He was just a large, outgoing personality," Williams said. "Everyone loved him." 

Even after all these years, she remembers the tragic day like it was yesterday. 

"Cody was on his way back to school and lost control of his vehicle," Williams said. "He wasn't wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the vehicle; he lost his life ultimately." 

She believes that wearing a seat belt could have changed the outcome of the situation. Now, she wants to use her personal experience to advocate for seat belt safety. 

According to the Department of Transportation, more than 700 people died in collisions in 2021. Of that statistic, more than half of those who died were not wearing a seat belt. 

"Wearing a seat belt can reduce fatalities by 45%," said Jessica Brown, Strategic Communications Director of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. "We need to do better, we can do better." 

Oklahoma is ranked No. 43 in the nation for seat belt use.  

Williams says it's a small, but crucial safety tip that many people overlook 

Williams has made peace with what happened, but she still loves to share and look back on memories of her son. 

"It could've been a different outcome," Williams said. "That's the bottom line."