Anyone who was lucky enough to kno w my mother knew that she did things by the book.

My mom, the late Grace Compston of Belmont, was not someone who was overly impressed by authority figures. Once rules or laws were established, however, she followed them — regardless of whether she agreed with them or not. In fact, if there wasn’t a rule book to refer to, she would create one.

Mom used to tell a story about a bar in her hometown of Jackson, Ohio. Apparently, this establishment had swinging doors at its entrance. Her parents, teetotalers who never touched alcohol, forbid their children from looking beneath those doors to see what was going on inside.

Although I’m pretty sure each of Mom’s brothers managed to sneak a peek into that bar, she always swore that she never looked beneath those doors. That is just the type of person she was.

I’m pretty sure that Mom only received one traffic ticket in her entire driving career — a span of 68 years. And she wasn’t even driving when she got that citation.

On May 6, 1986, a law took effect in Ohio requiring drivers and front seat passengers to wear seat belts. Most people paid little attention. After all, you couldn’t even be pulled over for failing to wear a safety belt; the law called for secondary enforcement — an officer needed another reason to pull you over in order to cite you for a violation.

A few weeks later, Mom was out with my dad, the late Jim Compston. I don’t remember where they were going or why Dad got pulled over, but I do remember that Mom got her one and only ticket.

From that day forward, Mom always wore her seat belt — and so did anyone who climbed into a car or truck with her.

Just before Christmas that year, Mom was on her way to work at Bethesda Elementary School when a fuel truck ran a stop sign and pulled out in front of her. She tried to stop, and she tried to swerve, but to no avail. Her car slammed into the side of that truck and then went off the road and over an embankment.

Mom was conscious when I arrived at the hospital, but she was badly battered. All of her front teeth were broken, and her face and head were cut and bruised. She had injuries to her arms and abrasions on her torso, along with a hematoma on her thigh. She also had a terrible bruise across her chest and shoulder where her seat belt had been.

Incredibly, she had no broken bones and no internal injuries. That was because she had been wearing her seat belt.

That ticket saved her life.

Mom was hospitalized for days, and she remained at home for few weeks. Once she healed and had her teeth repaired, she returned to work. Dad and I had to drive her everywhere for a couple of months, because she didn’t want to get back behind the wheel. When she eventually did, you can bet she wore her seat belt.

As a result of her accident, Mom was inducted into the Saved by the Belt club by the Ohio State Highway Patrol. She was proud that she had learned her lesson from that ticket and grateful that her seat belt had saved her life.

Because she buckled up that morning, she had the opportunity to watch me graduate from high school and college and get married and start a career. She was still around to watch her grandsons grow up and to meet her great-granddaughters.

She had the chance to advance her own career in education and accomplished a great deal before her retirement. She got to spend many more happy years with my dad.

I wear my seat belt because I am thankful that I got to have my mom around for an extra 30 years. And I wear my seat belt because I want to be around for a long time myself.

Labor Day weekend Is one of the busiest times on American roadways, and it is also one of the deadliest. Estimates from AAA indicate more than 30 million people will be traveling by automobile this weekend. So, when you hit the road yourself, remember to buckle up. Taking that little extra step will help ensure your own safety and could be the reason you are around for many years to come.