Do You Wear Your Seat Belt?

[Jim Koepke]

It seems there is still about 16% of the population that still does not wear their seat belt.

This video:

http://www.alexandercommercials.co.uk/

is thought by many to be the most beautiful video to advocate the use of seat belts. It is being sent to friends by people all around the world.

Maybe a friend of yours should see it.

jim

[Ken Fitzgerald]

The answer to the question "ALWAYS"!

Saw that several weeks ago. I am the regions safety representative for my employer. I sent it to the Zone level and to my children. It says it all.

[Tom Winship]

The first car that I ever saw that had factory seat belts (lap belts) was a '56 Ford Fairlane. By law, they were optional.
When they became mandatory (whenever that was), I buckled up and have never stopped using them.
It has always amazed me the number of people who by-pass the alarms, pull them out and hold them so it looks like they are being used (should the local police see you), etc. etc.
Why not just make it a habit to just buckle the darn thing when you get in the car? Who knows, it might become handy in a wreck.

[Art Mulder]

It has always amazed me the number of people who by-pass the alarms, pull them out and hold them so it looks like they are being used ...

What amazes me are the countless numbers of people I see who


get in their car
start their car
put their car in drive and start rolling
THEN start fiddling with putting on their seatbelt as they roll through the parking lot or out of the driveway.

My seatbelt gets put on before the key goes in the ignition.

[Bruce Page]

I started wearing them full time when I got a job on a military installation 27 years ago. It’s become so automatic that I feel naked without them.

[Dan Friedrichs]

Why not just make it a habit to just buckle the darn thing when you get in the car?

Yep. I insisted to myself that I would *never* forget to put it on when I first got my learner's permit. Now it's such a habit, I feel like I've done something terribly wrong if I omit to put it on when moving the car from the garage to the driveway.

[Jim Koepke]

What amazes me are the countless numbers of people I see who


get in their car
start their car
put their car in drive and start rolling
THEN start fiddling with putting on their seatbelt as they roll through the parking lot or out of the driveway.

My seatbelt gets put on before the key goes in the ignition.

It drives my wife nuts that I will often not start the car until all the doors are closed and seat belts are buckled. She wants me to start the car right away so she can roll down the windows, they are electric. I can live with the closed in air for a few seconds, she has issues with this.

I have even found my self buckling the belts when I am just getting in the car to look for something in the glove box. This gets a laugh from the wife when I try to get out without unbuckling.

jim

[Bryan Morgan]

My uncle was a fireman and drove the rescue squad. Saw lots of nasty pictures and heard lots of nasty stories. I definitely wear my seatbelt and won't make the car move unless all the passengers are belted in too. Having said this I don't think people should be getting tickets for not wearing them. If they want to splatter, let them.

[Jim Koepke]

Having said this I don't think people should be getting tickets for not wearing them. If they want to splatter, let them.

The personal outcome could be a personal decision. The outcome of what it does to the first responders and our medical system is not personal.

If people could carry an opt out card things might be different. So if they did become seriously injured because they chose not to buckle up or wear a helmet they could just be driven to the hospital for organ harvesting instead of draining their own or public insurance.

I do not know many people who would carry an opt out card.

jim

[David G Baker]

Back in the early 60's seat belts were required on all civilian vehicles entering military bases so I had to install seat belts in my personal car and have been wearing them since. I will not start my car if anyone in it hasn't fastened their sea belt.
While working in the media we interviewed several California Highway Patrolmen about the importance of seat belts, they all agreed that approximately 75% of highway fatalities were due to the lack of wearing seat belts.

[Chuck Wintle]

It seems there is still about 16% of the population that still does not wear their seat belt.

This video:

http://www.alexandercommercials.co.uk/

is thought by many to be the most beautiful video to advocate the use of seat belts. It is being sent to friends by people all around the world.

Maybe a friend of yours should see it.

jim
Yes...all the time as it is the law where i live. That said some still refuse to use it. :confused:

[Jim Rimmer]

I had a rollover accident in the 60s and if I had been wearing a seatbelt I would have been much more seriously injured or possibly killed. Having said that, I ALWAYS wear my seatbelt and actually feel weird without it. That one incident may have ended different, but the other 999,999 times the seatbelt will probalby save you.

[glenn bradley]

Of course; don't be silly. Some people don't? In this day and age? Who raised them?

[Jim O'Dell]

I'm another that feels naked with out the seat belt on. Have been that way ever since my wife's wreck in 1978. 1/2 ton Ford truck pulled out in front of her. She T-boned him at 55 mph.. Totaled both vehicles. Neither hurt seriously. (Wife had 4 stitches in her knee from hitting the keys) I don't get in a vehicle without a seat belt put o;n. Jim.

[Roger Newby]

I always use mine and my wife's new Honda has a very annoying beeper if you forget to buckle up.

Back in the 70's new cars wouldn't start unless the seat belt was buckled. My FIL went to get a case of beer and put it on the passenger seat. Just about came uncorked 'cause he had to buckle up the beer to get the car to start.:D:D:D

[Tom Winship]

Although I would brand myself as conservative, there are some issues that I think they need to bite the bullet and make them mandatory, like:

1. You can't start your car until your seat belt is fastened. (You can't retract the landing gear on a plane while it is still on the ground)

2. You can't talk on a cell phone while driving.

3. You can't apply make up while driving.

[Don Alexander]

the friggin headlights oughta be on whenever the car is running also

[Jon Lanier]

Always. It's more of a habit to put on the belt than it is to turn on the car.

[Cary Falk]

I wear mine about 95% of the time. I only started doing it since I got married as a request from my wife. Still after all these years it is still not a reflex. I don't think people should get a ticket if they don't wear them.

[George Sanders]

I agree with the people of New Hampshire; it's a choice. They have no mandatory seat belt law. There are many documented though unreported cases of people surviving an accident by not wearing one. I think the main reason for these laws is to generate revenue for the state.

[Belinda Barfield]

I always wear a seat belt. I don't like to, but I do.

[Rod Sheridan]

Of course I wear my seatbelt everytime, if I was smart enough to predict when my next collision would occur I'd be betting on the horses instead of working for a living.

Same with riding gear for the motorcycle, full helmet, full riding suit, boots, gloves and a reflective vest. Call me chicken but I don't fancy sliding down the pavement at 100Km/h on my skin.

Same with the table saw, never use it without a guard and riving knife.

Regards, Rod.

[Jeff Monson]

I think its a fair law to have to wear a seatbelt, I dont agree with the ticket price in some areas though. I do wear mine always, feel unsecure in the seat nowdays without one. It was a hard thing to engrain in me, as growing up we never wore them.

[Curt Harms]

I agree with the people of New Hampshire; it's a choice. They have no mandatory seat belt law. There are many documented though unreported cases of people surviving an accident by not wearing one. I think the main reason for these laws is to generate revenue for the state.

I wonder how New Hampshire gets away with that? When the mandatory seat belt law was being debated in PA., The Feds "gave it a push" by threatening to withhold many million $$ in federal highway funds if PA. didn't pass this law. I think seat belts are a good idea. I didn't care much for how the PA. law got jammed down our throats. I hope this isn't deemed political, it isn't intended to be.

[Dave Anderson NH]

Always under all conditions.

About 6 years ago I got out or work early one winter day 2 days before Christmas. I had a nasty cold, went home and had lunch and decided to go over to the local rental store to get one of my propane tanks filled for the gas grille. On the drive I went into a coughing fit, hyperventilated and passed out for a second, crossed the center line of the road and nailed a birch tree head on and dead center at 40 mph. There was a serious bruise all around my waist and a diagonal one running from my right side und up to my left shoulder. I also cracked 3 ribs. Without the seatbelt, shoulder harness, and the airbag I'm sure that I would have been either seriously hurt or killed. As it was, after an ambulance ride to the local hospital and a checkup, I was home in 3 hours.

[Matt Newton]

I live in the great state of New Hampshire and always wear my seatbelt even though i am not required to by law. Anyone under the age of 18 is required to wear it, but not as an "adult". I think the rational was to possibly reduce the population of idiots who don't wear them. Also remember our motto, Live Free or Die.

[John Pratt]

I don't have a problem with the law of NH, I think it should be a choice, but I never start the car without mine on. Just like wearing a motorcycle helmet, it is the riders choice, but I think your fooling yourself (I would use harsher terms, but I don't want to offend anyone) if you not wearing one.

Remember when: I remember when I was young and none of use wore seatbelts and there were four of use kids in the back seat jumping around, sleeping in the back window, and Dad would always tell us to jump up when we went over the RR tracks to keep the car from bottoming out.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I have walked away from 2 car wrecks where the car I was in, was totaled. The first time was fate, karma, an act of God.....I was 17...owned that car for 6 months and never worn the seatbelts.

I always wore them after the 1st accident.

15 years later....2nd accident.....totaled car....dislocated 2 fingers which were on the steering wheel at the time of impact.

[Dan Hintz]

Seatbelts are/were pushed by the insurance industry as it lowered overall claims significantly. Yes, some situations do exist where a seatbelt could cause more harm than good, but the likelihood of such a circumstance is significantly lower than those in which it helps. Even less so when it comes to wearing a helmet. Also, safety factors (like crumple zones, airbags, etc.) have increased significantly since seatbelts were first required oh so many years ago, and these work in conjunction with seatbelts (i.e., they are mostly useless without seatbelts and can cause even more injury if not used together).

I won't get into the issue about laws requiring you to do anything, but I hate to think my own insurance premiums go up bit by bit because someone chose not to wear a seatbelt and got into an accident that turned them into a veggie. You don't want to wear a seatblet, that's perfectly fine in my mind.. but I shouldn't have to subsidize your decision should the unthinkable happen. Sign a piece of paper that says you choose not to wear a belt, and should an accident happen that cause harm that could have been prevented by said belt (like smashing your head into the windshield), you or your estate pays for all medical care... I'd be okay with that.

But I digress...

[Rick Prosser]

What amazes me are the countless numbers of people I see who


get in their car
start their car
put their car in drive and start rolling
THEN start fiddling with putting on their seatbelt as they roll through the parking lot or out of the driveway.



That's me :o, and I have no idea why I continue to do it in that order - habit?? I don't feel comfortable on the road driving without a seat belt, but I don't put it on until the car is rolling. (I know it is illogical)

It is pretty easy for me to connect the belt one handed though...:p

Part of it came from having to move around in the seat to be sure it was safe to start moving when I first started to learn - the belt made it hard to move around and see all directions.

[Jim Rimmer]

Same with riding gear for the motorcycle, full helmet, full riding suit, boots, gloves and a reflective vest. Call me chicken but I don't fancy sliding down the pavement at 100Km/h on my skin. Regards, Rod.
I'm with you, Rod. I don't ride now but have been eye witness to a pretty serious mc accident. I see people here in Houston riding on the highway wearing shorts, T-shirts and flip flops with their honey on the back in shorts and halter top. I ask myself if they ever considered what would happen in even a minor accident such as just laying it down?:eek:

[Belinda Barfield]

I'm with you, Rod. I don't ride now but have been eye witness to a pretty serious mc accident. I see people here in Houston riding on the highway wearing shorts, T-shirts and flip flops with their honey on the back in shorts and halter top. I ask myself if they ever considered what would happen in even a minor accident such as just laying it down?:eek:

I saw the same thing last Saturday on I95, Jim. The honey was wearing a pair of low cut shorts that couldn't have been more than six inches from top to hem, and a swimsuit top. My first thought was, "honey, if you hit the pavement there won't be anything left but bones when you stop sliding".

[John A. Callaway]

It drives my wife nuts that I will often not start the car until all the doors are closed and seat belts are buckled. She wants me to start the car right away so she can roll down the windows, they are electric. I can live with the closed in air for a few seconds, she has issues with this.

jim


HHmmm....clearly you havent lived down south with its super high humidity levels.... Down here, in the summer, you crank up the car first, roll the windows down, turn the A/C on, then buckle up.... after you start moving a little ways, then you roll the windows back up and let the A/C do its job. The greenhouse effect is just brutal down here....

[John A. Callaway]

I saw the same thing last Saturday on I95, Jim. The honey was wearing a pair of low cut shorts that couldn't have been more than six inches from top to hem, and a swimsuit top. My first thought was, "honey, if you hit the pavement there won't be anything left but bones when you stop sliding".


This is another one I just love.... some little thing holding on to her boyfriend or whoever.... tank tops , flip flops, shorts.... running about 90 m.p.h.

Is it really that wrong to secretly want to see that bike just lay over and peel that skin off like a potato peeler.....

I mean come on.... How blatantly stupid could a person be to think that the guy controlling that bike is never going to make a mistake, or worse, that nobody in another vehicle will ever do anything to jeopardize the safety of the motorcycle operator or passenger?

If seat belts are required by law then certain riding gear should be required by law. Maybe you don't agree with this, maybe you do.... but jeans, riding jackets, gloves and boots, along with helmets should be law in every state on anything over 49cc.

Edit : should read the whole thread first.... but I guess alot of us feel the same way....

[Dan Hintz]

Belinda,

You mean like this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5LQAwB5MTg

At least she had a helmet on (for whatever good it did her, though her head may be the only thing attractive about her at that point).

[Brian Elfert]

I wear my selt belt every time I am in a vehicle with seat belts. I wore them long before state laws required them.

[Mike Cruz]

Yes, I always wear mine. Why? I promised my wife I would. So, even when she's not around I wear it. God forbid, if I died in an accident and I didn't have it on, she'd kill me!

[Phyllis Meyer]

We hit turbulance on the plane a week ago and I had my seatbelt off...never again after seeing the plane in Denver! Trains-planes-automobiles...this gal wears a seatbelt!

Phyllis:)

[Bryan Morgan]

If people could carry an opt out card things might be different. So if they did become seriously injured because they chose not to buckle up or wear a helmet they could just be driven to the hospital for organ harvesting instead of draining their own or public insurance.

I do not know many people who would carry an opt out card.

jim


I LOVE this idea! I would carry one without question!

[Bryan Morgan]

I had a rollover accident in the 60s and if I had been wearing a seatbelt I would have been much more seriously injured or possibly killed. Having said that, I ALWAYS wear my seatbelt and actually feel weird without it. That one incident may have ended different, but the other 999,999 times the seatbelt will probalby save you.


Happened to my cousin too. She was in a rollover without her seatbelt and walked away minus one of her arms. The others in the truck didn't walk away at all.

[Mike Cruz]

You know what I don't understand?

When you are 1 year old, you HAVE to be in a child safety seat.
When you are 10, you need to be in a booster seat.
When you are old/big enough, you have to wear a seat belt.

But get on a big yellow school bus or on the Metro (city train) and NOTHIN'!

What's up with that?

[Michael Weber]

In 1962 I purchased seat belts as a Christmas gift to my parents for dad's 1958 chevy. I have worn seat belts religously since I got my DL in 1962. Probably saved me when I had that high speed head on on the highway in the 80's.
I had a BIL who was adament that you were safer without them as you would be thrown clear of the car in a bad accident.:eek:

[Paul Ryan]

I average 1000+ miles per week in a car. And I always wear my seat belt. I feel naked with out it.

[Jim Becker]

I wear my seatbelt 110% of the time...it goes on before I turn the key and anyone in the vehicle is require to have theirs on, too, before the vehicle moves an inch. Same goes for when I'm on the Kubota or the ZTR...seatbelt gets used 100% of the time. (Both have ROPS)

[John Keeton]

YES! Always, and all of our 5 adult children, their spouses, and all grandkids are properly restrained. We pounded it in their heads early on.

[Norberto Coutinho]

All brazilian drivers need to use seat belt. If someone is not using it ( the driver or the passanger ), they give to the driver a penalty. The driver loss some points in their license driver ( I can´t remeber how much ) , but if goes up 20 points, the licence driver is hold by one year. After this the driver need to start how to get another license driver.

[Joe Chritz]

I don't care if someone wears a seat belt (or other safety gear). As soon as it stops costing me money (uninsured motorist insurance and catastrophic claim insurance) then they could ditch all the laws.

When insurance is mandatory and there is no opt out on catastrophic claim, etc then a mandatory safety equipment law is pretty much required.

I investigate accidents as part of my regular job so I get plenty of opportunity to see how the equipment works. I couldn't count the number of people that I have personally seen who are still around because of belts and air bags on several sets of hands.

Joe

[Joe Chritz]

You know what I don't understand?

When you are 1 year old, you HAVE to be in a child safety seat.
When you are 10, you need to be in a booster seat.
When you are old/big enough, you have to wear a seat belt.

But get on a big yellow school bus or on the Metro (city train) and NOTHIN'!

What's up with that?

I missed this before my other post.

It is a major topic of discussion but the current thoughts are that it is a risk/reward thing. It is difficult to keep kids in the belts and the driver would be heavily distracted from driving (and thus having more accidents) as well as having kids using them as clubs, etc.

Ideally they would be used on school buses but I doubt it will ever be very feasible. Plus, enforcement would be near impossible.

To the bus makers credit, school and passenger buses are extremely safe through the design. Even the seats are designed specially to reduce injuries in accidents.

Joe

[Brian Ashton]

It seems there is still about 16% of the population that still does not wear their seat belt.

This video:

http://www.alexandercommercials.co.uk/

is thought by many to be the most beautiful video to advocate the use of seat belts. It is being sent to friends by people all around the world.

Maybe a friend of yours should see it.

jim

When I lived in Canada I rarely wore it - drivers, were I lived were so laid back there was little fear of an accident. I now live in Australia where the drivers are by far the worst and deliberately the dumbest I've ever experienced and therefore I wear it religiously. Here you simply can't trust that the car coming towards you has a driver that is even remotely capable of operating a skateboard let alone car (that is usually driven well over the speed limit). Most drivers here think the sign is posting the speed minimum not speed limit...

[John Coloccia]

I wear mine all the time because I think it's a good idea. I don't care if anyone else wears theirs. I also don't care if they wear a helmet and riding gear. I generally wear a helmet and riding gear but people need to decide for themselves.

The insurance/public responsibility/opt out/whatever argument is wholly unpersuasive to me. By the same argument, I could make a very strong case that rock climbing and all forms of skating and biking should be outlawed, and that you must use push sticks, riving knives and blade guards for all table saw cuts. If we've gotten to the point that everything must be regulated in order to preserve some public good or sense or fairness, perhaps it's time to reconsider just exactly how much involvement in our own lives do we want commissions, actuary tables, paper pushers and the like to have.

Just my opinion. As I said, I wear mine religiously.

[Charlie Reals]

I wear mine all the time because I think it's a good idea. I don't care if anyone else wears theirs. I also don't care if they wear a helmet and riding gear. I generally wear a helmet and riding gear but people need to decide for themselves.

The insurance/public responsibility/opt out/whatever argument is wholly unpersuasive to me. By the same argument, I could make a very strong case that rock climbing and all forms of skating and biking should be outlawed, and that you must use push sticks, riving knives and blade guards for all table saw cuts. If we've gotten to the point that everything must be regulated in order to preserve some public good or sense or fairness, perhaps it's time to reconsider just exactly how much involvement in our own lives do we want commissions, actuary tables, paper pushers and the like to have.

Just my opinion. As I said, I wear mine religiously.

Well said John!! I quit riding for many reasons butt the Helmet law was the final straw. The helmet and seat belt laws are revenue laws. Most states didn't pass seat belt laws until shoulder straps were visible like helmets lol.
No politics here, just my 2c as I predate both seat belts and the laws :D

[Lee Schierer]

My car doesn't move until everyone buckles up. No exceptions.

[Jack Wilson]

Well I guess I need to be the skunk at the garden party. NO, I hardly ever wear mine, unless my wife is with me, and that's only because she nags me about it, (I still love her though). And NO, I don't have a blade guard on my table saws, and I have 3 of them. As far as laws go... we don't need more laws to tell us how to be safe, or to legislate safety. But that's another issue.


This is another one I just love.... some little thing holding on to her boyfriend or whoever.... tank tops , flip flops, shorts.... running about 90 m.p.h.

Is it really that wrong to secretly want to see that bike just lay over and peel that skin off like a potato peeler.....


And YES John, it is horrible to hope somebodys bike goes sliding down the road because they are "improperly" suited up.

[Tim Morton]

Well I guess I need to be the skunk at the garden party. NO, I hardly ever wear mine, unless my wife is with me, and that's only because she nags me about it, (I still love her though). And NO, I don't have a blade guard on my table saws, and I have 3 of them. As far as laws go... we don't need more laws to tell us how to be safe, or to legislate safety. But that's another issue.




And YES John, it is horrible to hope somebodys bike goes sliding down the road because they are improperly suited up.

I don't wear mine either....however i am thinking that maybe its time to start. I am one who does things because i want to, not because i think i should...or because its a law.

[Kevin Gregoire]

i have been wearing my seat belt since i bought my first new car back in 1988 when i got my first real job
and have been wearing it ever since. it has saved me 4 times (slow moving accidents) and my mother
and aunt once in the below accident.

http://i40.tinypic.com/33tguwg.jpg

http://i25.tinypic.com/24n1bh4.jpg

[Garth Keel]

I even wear seat belts to move my truck from the back yard around to the drive way (200' on the road). One accident while wearing seatbelts convinced me in 1962.

[Bob Turkovich]

I don't wear mine either....however i am thinking that maybe its time to start. I am one who does things because i want to, not because i think i should...or because its a law.


Well, Tim, for you and Jack, I hope I can convince you to start wearing your belt.

When I started working in the Auto Industry back in the early 70's my first assignment was as a Vehicle Structure Engineer. I attended an industry seminar in which data (including photographs) was presented of multiple cases of similar accidents - one in which the occupants were wearing a belt, the second in which the occupants were not. I became a adamant belt user at that point.

I have mentioned in another thread that I was involved in a serious accident in April. I was driving a 2010 Dodge Journey and rear-ended a F550 dump truck that had stopped on I-75. Impact speed (after braking) was estimated to be 35mph. A photograph of my totalled Journey is attached.

The hole in the windshield is not from my head but is from the back of the dump truck. The air bag did not go off because of the high-low nature of the impact (The front rail did not crush, hence, the air bag sensor did not trigger the air bag.) The windshield pillar - made of high-strength steel to meet the latest rollover standards - prevented the back of the truck from protruding further into the passenger compartment. That - in combination with the seat belt/shoulder harness - kept my melon from contacting the back of the dump truck.

I walked away from the accident. I had two small pin-holes in my thumb and ear from the broken glass as well as sore muscles for about a week. The police and paramedics insisted I be taken to emergency - a full CAT scan and x-rays showed no other injuries.

For those that think that your odds are better in a rollover accident if you are thrown from the vehicle, think again. If you watch crashes at Nascar/Indy car races, notice that it is occupant restraint in conjunction with crush management (dissipating energy) that allows the drivers to walk away. The progress made by the auto industry - particularly in crush management - has shifted the odds astronomically in your favor if you stay restrained in the vehicle.

Sorry for the preaching - but I hope I've convinced you to wear your belt...always. I've been enjoying the SMC forums way too much and want to see all of you sticking around.

BTW - one of the aftermaths of my accident has been a heightened sense of safety in my workshop.

[Art Mulder]

The air bag did not go off because of the high-low nature of the impact (The front rail did not crush, hence, the air bag sensor did not trigger the air bag.)

Given all the other work on car safety over the past decades...
I've often wondered why no one has ever tried to standardize on bumper heights.

[David Christopher]

no, never !!!

[Bob Turkovich]

Given all the other work on car safety over the past decades...
I've often wondered why no one has ever tried to standardize on bumper heights.


Art,

They are standardized. Bumper heights for passenger cars and light duty trucks need to be within a certain height window. The vehicle I hit was a medium duty truck and had no such requirements.

Funny thing is...the accident occurred in the shadows of Chrysler's Tech Center. There is a mile stretch where there are 4 instances of traffic exiting and entering from the right. I drove that stretch over 4500 times before I retired in 2008. I told myself that someday I'd get involved in an accident there. On retirement day, I remember thinking I got through it.

On the day of the accident, I was going to meet my daughter at college. I remember sitting in the car wondering why didn't the air bag go off. It wasn't until after I saw the vehicle later that I realized why it didn't.

I had sent pictures of the crash to some of my friends by e-mail. I had forgotten that one of them worked for an air bag supplier. He showed the pictures to his crash experts and they stated this would have been the rare instance where I would have been more injured (albeit, not seriously) if the air bag went off (possible abrasions, injured hands, etc.) That being said it should be remembered that air bags are made to work in conjunction with seat belts, not in place of them.

Someone was looking over me that day....

[Mike Cutler]

If the vehicle rolls, all bets are off. A NASCAR style restraint system will keep the driver in place, but a normal one is not designed for it. While it's easy to come up with isolated instances where a person may have been better off without a seat/shoulder belt, the math supports wearing one.

I've engaged in a lot of hazardous activities in my life. Not wearing a seatbelt is kind of foolish in my opinion. It's cheap insurance.

[Dan Hintz]

Bob,

Kinda curious why you rear-ended the truck? Were you too close when he hit the brakes, swerved into his lane where he was stopped, etc.? 35mph is pretty fast for hitting someone who just slammed on their brakes in front of you...

[Art Mulder]

Art,

They are standardized. Bumper heights for passenger cars and light duty trucks need to be within a certain height window. The vehicle I hit was a medium duty truck and had no such requirements.

My point remains... we're all on the same roads, in the same lanes. Why haven't they standardized on bumper heights for ALL vehicles? Have there been studies done on accidents involving these? :confused:

[Jim Koepke]

My point remains... we're all on the same roads, in the same lanes. Why haven't they standardized on bumper heights for ALL vehicles? Have there been studies done on accidents involving these?

Some vehicles would not be able to function with their bumpers that low to the road. It wouldn't just be the bumpers, it would be every shipping dock and rail siding.

jim

[Bob Turkovich]

If the vehicle rolls, all bets are off. A NASCAR style restraint system will keep the driver in place, but a normal one is not designed for it. While it's easy to come up with isolated instances where a person may have been better off without a seat/shoulder belt, the math supports wearing one.

I've engaged in a lot of hazardous activities in my life. Not wearing a seatbelt is kind of foolish in my opinion. It's cheap insurance.


Mike,

While I obviously agree with most of your statement, I don't with your initial premise on rollovers.

Revisions to rollover standards have moved the needle significantly in the last 10 years. While I agree that the current 3 point restraint system will not keep you as restrained as a racing system, your odds are better letting the structure protect you rather than being flung from the vehicle.

[Bob Turkovich]

Bob,

Kinda curious why you rear-ended the truck? Were you too close when he hit the brakes, swerved into his lane where he was stopped, etc.? 35mph is pretty fast for hitting someone who just slammed on their brakes in front of you...

Dan,

I dunno. I had just merged onto the freeway and was maintaining what I thought was a safe distance. I was in the second lane from the right. The right lane was first for merging traffic then for two exits ("exit only" lanes). My intent was to take the second "exit only" exit. My attention was taken by the traffic on my right. I was not using cell phone, playing with the radio, etc. I noticed the sign that the right lane was now "exit only" for my intended exit. I looked back straight ahead and saw the truck "stopped" about 40 feet in front of me. I was doing between 60 and 65 when I hit the brakes so the 35mph impact speed was a guestimate. (The police officer at the scene guessed about the same.)

I don't recall seeing brake lights. The dump truck driver told the police he had to slow down for traffic in front of him. The police never checked to see if the dump truck brake lights were working.

I received a citiation for not maintaining proper distance. (For the record, it was my first accident-related citation in 43 years of driving.) I kept playing the accident over and over in my mind and don't know what I did wrong.

Six days later I went through the same stretch of road (on a Saturday AM), planning on taking the same exit. My son was riding with me. Sure enough the car next to me in the right lane did not take the first "exit only" and barrelled right through. If the vehicle ahead of me would have stopped, the same thing might have happened. I started yelling "I didn't do anything wrong!!!". My son said, "Dad, that's why they call it an accident!"

[Mike Cutler]

Mike,

While I obviously agree with most of your statement, I don't with your initial premise on rollovers.

Revisions to rollover standards have moved the needle significantly in the last 10 years. While I agree that the current 3 point restraint system will not keep you as restrained as a racing system, your odds are better letting the structure protect you rather than being flung from the vehicle.

Bob.

I whole heartedly agree. I just didn't express it correctly. A person is better off staying inside the vehicle. ANy level of protection, is better than no protection.
I had a friend die when his car rolled over. His head got outside the window frame and was crushed when the car rolled.

[Rick Moyer]

I find it interesting and somewhat amusing that the majority of posters seem to wear their safety belts in earnest, but no one has mentioned the possibilty of wearing a helmet to drive their car. Are you wearing the belts because they are safer than not? Then why not go the extra step and wear a helmet, too? Or are you just following along with what the insurance companies and the government tell you you should be doing, convinced that they are right?

Now, I don't disagree that wearing the safety belts is a good idea. I just find it amusing that 50 or so years ago before seat belts, many of you never probably considered the safety aspects of driving much. At what level do you/we feel comfortable regarding safety in a vehicle, and why not wear a helmet if that is such a concern?

Same thing with safety gear riding a motorcycle (or anything for that matter). How safe is safe enough? Should someone decide that for everyone? maybe..

Just some food for thought.

[Rick Prosser]

... but no one has mentioned the possibilty of wearing a helmet to drive their car. ...

It would mess up my hair.:D




Actually, I have thought about this very question. I ride a motorcycle - and always wear a helmet, but I guess I consider the frame of the car around me as the "helmet". I also have a convertible, so that only goes so far...

Race car drivers wear helmets, but they should expect/plan to have a crash - and therefore are required to have more protection (fire suits, helmets, harness, etc.) There are some areas where streets are probably as dangerous (used to drive in Atlanta:eek:), but for the most part, I don't expect the statistics to place me in an accident when I drive.

[Rick Potter]

I worked for the Los Angeles Co. Fire Dept. for over 30 years, and was on hundreds of car accidents. I can honestly say that there was only ONE where the driver might have survived if he had not worn his seatbelt. The key word there is MIGHT have survived. Ford Ranger pickup went off the mountain road, down a 120' drop and ended up on it's top, which was completely crushed. He might have survived if he had been ejected, but probably not.

Of all the accidents I have been on, that is the only one that is in doubt.

I have always worn seat belts, installing them on my cars since I was about 17 (1959).

Rick Potter

[Jay Jolliffe]

I live on an Island where the top speed is 40. I don't always were it when I'm on the Island but I do when I'm off. On school buses why don't they have seat belts.I think the kids should be wearing them. Passenger buses have seat belts why not school buses.

[Chris Kennedy]

I find it interesting and somewhat amusing that the majority of posters seem to wear their safety belts in earnest, but no one has mentioned the possibilty of wearing a helmet to drive their car. Are you wearing the belts because they are safer than not? Then why not go the extra step and wear a helmet, too? Or are you just following along with what the insurance companies and the government tell you you should be doing, convinced that they are right?

Now, I don't disagree that wearing the safety belts is a good idea. I just find it amusing that 50 or so years ago before seat belts, many of you never probably considered the safety aspects of driving much. At what level do you/we feel comfortable regarding safety in a vehicle, and why not wear a helmet if that is such a concern?

Same thing with safety gear riding a motorcycle (or anything for that matter). How safe is safe enough? Should someone decide that for everyone? maybe..

Just some food for thought.


50 years ago, I would never have thought about the safety aspects of driving, mainly because I would have been -15 at the time.:D

The only time I don't wear my seatbelt is when I have to back my wife's car out on to the street so I can get mine out. We are significantly different in heights, and I would have to reset a whole bunch of things. We live on a suburban street only a block long, and so there is almost no risk for the little time it takes. Honestly, it feels strange to be without one, and plenty of times, I readjust the belt and the seat for the whole fifteen seconds it takes. Those who say that seat belts are uncomfortable -- honestly, I don't understand it. I have never found a seatbelt uncomfortable.

As for seat belts versus helmets, I'm with one of the other posters that the car generally acts as a suit of armor. Part of its design is to protect the riders inside. If you are in such an accident that a helmet is what you need after the impact, the rest of your body is going to be toast.

Should someone decide for everyone? Not someone, but a group of people -- actuaries. Mainly employed by the insurance industries, actuaries are basically statisticians who specialize in determining life expectancies based on behavior. Every time your insurance company offers you a discount for a certain behavior (seat belts, smoke alarms, not smoking, etc.) it is because it is backed up on the fact that their expected payout is negative if you don't engage in that behavior.

To any actuaries out there reading this post, I know I just drastically oversimplified what you do, and I apologize in advance.

Cheers,

Chris

[Jason Roehl]

I always wear mine now. I started out always wearing one, but once I knew Indiana's laws, I didn't for a while. It used to be that if you were in a truck (actual truck body or plated as one, depending on who you talked to), you were not required to wear one. So I quit wearing one while I was in town and in my truck. Just because I could, and I knew odds were on my side at low speeds in a larger vehicle. All other times I wore it. Then, a few years ago, the law changed to require use at all times in all vehicles, so I now wear it all the time again.

Years ago, a friend of mine told me that he never wears a seat belt, because he believes that not wearing one saved his life in an accident. He had fallen asleep at the wheel, went off the road and hit a tree--one of those accidents where the headlights ended up facing each other. Anyway, because he didn't have a seat belt on, he fell over to the side, which was good for him, since the steering wheel was pushed into the seat back where he was formerly sitting. He still ended up doing quite a bit of hospital and rehab time and had a bad limp years later, but he won't wear a seat belt now.

I have also worn a motorcycle helmet while driving a car, just for kicks.

[Bob Rufener]

I always wear a seat belt and would feel totally uncomfortable without one. I have a motorcycle as well and always wear a helmet.

[Bob Turkovich]

Years ago, a friend of mine told me that he never wears a seat belt, because he believes that not wearing one saved his life in an accident. He had fallen asleep at the wheel, went off the road and hit a tree--one of those accidents where the headlights ended up facing each other. Anyway, because he didn't have a seat belt on, he fell over to the side, which was good for him, since the steering wheel was pushed into the seat back where he was formerly sitting. He still ended up doing quite a bit of hospital and rehab time and had a bad limp years later, but he won't wear a seat belt now.

.

Jason,

I'm curious as to how old your friends' vehicle was. There are couple of points I'd like you to relay to your friend to hopefully convince him to wear his belt.

First, steering columns are now (and have been for awhile) collapsible to minimize the impact upon the driver.

Second, if he's in an accident like his previous one and not like mine), the air bag in the steering wheel will inflate and help to protect him.

BTW, most people think the purpose of air bags is to provide a cushioned surface - it is not. The air bag is expanding at such a rate it does not provide much of a cushion! (It is however, a smoother surface than other parts of the interior.) The primary purpose of the bag is to close the distance between the occupant and the nearest surface, thereby reducing the relative acceleration rate of the occupant.

As an example, there is a high school level Physics project that has been going around for a few years. The student needs to create a rubber band powered small four-wheeled vehicle that carries a raw egg. Everyone gets the same size rubber band. The vehicle must go about 12 feet on a 3 foot high table in a minimum time. After the 12 feet the vehicle launches itself off the table and on to a hard floor. The student needs to predict how far the vehicle goes from the end of the table and 50 % of his/her grade is based on how close the actual vehicle is to the prediction. The other 50% is based on whether the egg survives or not.

Students that designed a compartment that kept the egg from moving at all graded higher. (Note: there are dents in my basement drywall from my son proving this out a few years ago....there was extra credit for exceeding a certain distance:rolleyes: All I did was explain to him what airbags really did;).)

[Jason Roehl]

Bob, I haven't seen this particular friend for close to 15 years, and the accident was some time before that, maybe 5 years or so, and he probably drove an older vehicle at the time, to boot, so he definitely didn't have airbags.

He was kind of a nut anyways. He once got pulled over in a speed trap, and didn't wait for the cop to get to his window. Instead, he got out and met the cop halfway and gave him a piece of his mind because he knew about the speed trap and had slowed down appropriately before the speed limit changed. Amazingly enough, he didn't get a beating, arrested, nor a ticket. ;)