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Do you wear your seatbelt?

Willy

Willy

Administrator
Staff member
My wife's 19 year old cousin is being buried tomorrow. Saturday night he was driving down a country road in his pickup, rolled it and was thrown out of the truck when they think he tried to dodge a deer. They didn't find him until about 9am Sunday morning and he was already gone by then.

I was talking to his brother at the viewing tonight and found out that he never would wear a seatbelt. If he had we wouldn't be having his funeral in the morning. I've worn a seatbelt ever since I was in a bad head on wreck and wasn't wearing one at the time. I was lucky to have lived through that one. I just wish more people would wear them. I hate going to unnecessary funerals.
 
Its law in my country to wear a seatbelt at all times when driving. In spite of that, a few people still drive without putting on their seatbelts and unfortunately in some crashes reported in the local paper, the deceased occupants were found to have not been wearing their seatbelts.

So sorry to read of Mrs Willy's cousin's death, so young.
 
For more than 45 years or so already. Feel naked without it and it has long become second nature, just as turning the ignition key.
 
As Mark points out, these are Law in NZ, along with crash helmets for motor cycles, and bicycles too.
There's a long list of experience at the Casualty Ward to prove they do make a difference.
And while initially these might seem a pita, as Francois says: I'd feel naked without.
 
Sorry to hear about the loss.

I don't understand why certain people don't wear seatbelts. Are they THAT lazy? Or is it "cool" to not wear them? I don't get it. Maybe these people just don't understand the laws of physics. Or what happens when soft flesh meets hard metal or concrete.

You are inside a vehicle traveling at fast speeds while in a pretty dangerous environment. To not wear a seatbelt is just plain dumb. I even wear it when i'm in the back-seat. Feels all nakid w/out it.

-feng
 
Willy sorry to hear about your loss.It is a law here in Va. also. It is a habit for me to wear one even it I am just moving the car out of the driveway and rotating them. I also make the passengers wear them when they are driving with me.For some reason most of the kids feel they are invisible to a car wreak and don't feel they need to wear one. The amount of loss life here in Va. supports what I am saying.
 
Like Francois said, I feel naked and vulnerable when I'm not wearing my seatbelt. Any accident generates forces that can cause you to be thrown around inside your vehicle or (worst case) ejected from it. Your seatbelt can be the difference between minor injuries and death, you're crazy not to wear it.
 
Even before it was legal over here to wear seatbelts and many cars came without rear ones my dad would always fit them to the rear of the car himself so it's always been second nature to me.

I'm quite militant about road safety these these days and have refused to drive with quite a few people since my better half was in a relatively minor car accident over a year ago now. Despite the slow speed she is still suffering from the effects physically so nothing annoys me more than people doing stupid things in cars, especially things like speeding, not wearing seatbelts and anything else that can be easily avoided.
 
It's the law in Florida. But I installed seatbelts in my cars BEFORE they were installed by the factory. It's like a habit. I don't feel right if it's not buckled up.
 
Condolences Willy.
Far too young to pass away.
As Den pointed out it is law in Australia, but I fitted seatbelts (actually a full harness) in my very first MG, way back in the early 60s.
Since the every car I've owned has been equipped five or six point belts.
Almost every other car I've driven has been factory fitted with 'Lap&Sash' belts.
I'm like Francois, it doesn't feel right behind the wheel without wearing them.
And I can't imagine anyone wanting to ride a bike (powered or pedalled) not wearing a helmet at least, my latest addition to safer motorcycling are some Kevlar Jeans .......... cost is not an issue IMHO.
:kilroy:
And a PS:My state government has just passed a number of new road laws effective as of now regarding 'Mobile Phone Idiots" ........... long overdue.
 
My condolences Willy.

What is wrong with teenagers today that they will not wear seat belts. In the last month our area has lost three teenagers to auto accidents due to the fact that none were wearing their seat belts.

I have been wearing them like a religion since they came standard in our 1963 Rambler. No only do they save your life, they can keep you from miserable injuries.

All I heard at one football game from this black man were reasons he didn't wear one, I offered the three teens as three viable reasons you do need to wear one.

Sorry Willy, this has been a soapbox for me for 46 years, wear your seat belt people.

Caz
 
Okay ... I'm probably the only odd man out here ... but I detest seatbelts, despite the fact that they are manditory by the laws of the land.

There is just something about that shoulder harness that subconciously makes me feel as though I'm choking ... seriously. :isadizzy:
 
My condolences Willy.

Here in Florida, it's the law: Click it or ticket....

When my family went to Singer Island, Florida one weekend (first weekend of August). My cousin's car rolled over on I-95, four of them had seat belts on, they survived, with only minor bruises... Thank God.... :engel016:
 
I used to to be like that (not wearing my belt) when I was young. Then a friend of mine got into a bad accident that changed his life forever. He survived but was never the same. Reports say he would have done better or been OK had he been wearing his belt. I've been wearing my belt ever since. I mean I even put it on to move the car from one spot in a parking lot to another! It's a habit I've had now for the last 15 yrs.
 
I knew a girl who didn't wear her seat belt because the shoulder harness messed up her hair!

As some one mentioned earlier: if the vehicle has belts, I'm putting them on. Here in TX, it is mandatory in all seating locations now. I used to insist that people in the back that rode in my car wore them too before it was the law. Got some dirty looks, but didn't care. I didn't want anyone flying in to the front seat in an accident. You choose not to wear them in the back, you are risking injury or death to the person sitting in front of you and that's just lame.
 
Spend some time like I did working on an ambulance and you will quickly appreciate the benefits of seat belt use.

I started wearing my belt in High School, before it was the law. I was on the Vol. Fire Department in HS and one night we were called out to a wreck late one Friday night/Saturday morning. I recognized the truck from seeing it in the school parking lot but due to the driver's facial injuries from not wearing a seat belt. I didn't know it was a good friend of mine until we got back to the station.

Started wearing my belt from that moment on.


Brian
 
my condolences willy, seatbelts do save lives, i'm one of the dangerous few who ride a bike... no belt, but when i rarely drive it's second nature, i've lost a friend to the not wearing seatbelt issue, so it's always in the forefront of my mind if i drive and always first thing i do before i even start the engine...

again heartfelt condolences...
 
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