Seat belts

[QC]

Re: Seat belts

Roger that DJ!!!!

 

[QC]

Re: Seat belts

Slightly OT, but I am reminded of a helmet use discussion from an instructor in traffic school (yes, I got a ticket . . .). Anyway, he said "stand in your driveway with out a helmet on and simply fall over on your head. That's how it would feel to get in an accident at 0 MPH."<br /><br />Another good trick is to slam on the brakes when somebody in your car isn't wearing a belt. They get the idea real quickly. Yes, I have done that. So far haven't hurt anybody, but that'll teach 'em.

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Seat belts

Originally posted by Quietcat:<br />Another good trick is to slam on the brakes when somebody in your car isn't wearing a belt.

That's what I do when people aren't sitting right in the boat. (only I hit the gas) Anybody that rides with me in my truck gets the idea real quick that they better be wearing a belt...to me there's no such thing as a slow stop or start.

 

[Nos4r2]

Re: Seat belts

Always wear mine in the car, but never in the Semi.Inertiareel belts stop me moving around in the seat enough to check mirrors and blind spots properly-and a semi has a lot of blind spots.Even more so on a tall rig where the driver's head is 10 feet plus in the air. There's quite a few very stupid people that don't realise that had I been wearing a belt they'd be dead. I wouldn't have seen them undertaking on roundabouts or trying to overtake the semi halfway through a right turn.

 

[aspeck]

Re: Seat belts

Ken, yes, I have unbuckled 4 dead people that come to mind quickly - one was burning alive and could not unbuckle the belt, we tried to get to him, but too hot and dangerous. Did all we could as we watched him struggle, burn and die.<br /><br />Had a guy rear end a semi. Took his head off, body still trapped to the seat. Without belt could have ducked.<br /><br />Had a rollover where the roof was smashed on a ladies head. She couldn't duck. Would have she survived with out the belt? Not sure, but she didn't with the belt either.<br /><br />Had a 75 year old man get rear ended at a stop sign. Car behind hit him at about 15 miles per hour. Not much damage to the cars, but the older gentleman's neck was snapped.<br /><br />Other stories where it wouldn't have mattered either way.<br /><br />Have I collected ones without their seatbelts on? Yes. It all depends on the type of accident one is involved in.<br /><br />From my experience, not really enough evidence to call me stupid, but you can if you want.

 

[DJ]

Re: Seat belts

aspeck,<br /><br />

Without belt could have ducked.<br />

IF he was awake.<br /><br /><br />

Had a 75 year old man get rear ended at a stop sign. Car behind hit him at about 15 miles per hour. Not much damage to the cars, but the older gentleman's neck was snapped.<br />

And, the belt caused that?<br /><br /><br />I'll take my chances and buckle up. Chances are pretty good I'll walk away. Chances that I will walk away not belted are about as good as winnning the Powerball.<br /><br />There is a reason that race car drivers/pilots, etc. buckle up.<br /><br />Using prudence is generally a good plan.

 

[Skinnywater]

Re: Seat belts

Oops sorry, wrong tread, let me rephrase.<br /><br />Should the adults that don't wear them be forced to?

 

[snapperbait]

Re: Seat belts

Should the adults that don't wear them be forced to?

IMHO, No...

 

[Homerr]

Re: Seat belts

Ditto...<br /><br />As I said int he other post.... If a person wants to take his own life in his hands, then let him.<br /><br />Big brother has no business protecting ME from... ME !<br /><br />I do wear belts by the way... Just something I've always done. I can still remember the moive "Route 66" in school <br /><br />I just don't like the idea of being forced to do something.... Especially if it's the Guvnment!<br /><br /><br />H.

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Seat belts

Originally posted by Skinnywater:<br />Should the adults that don't wear them be forced to?

Yes. When they wreck, you and I get to pay for their $100,000+ hospital visit. The only way they should be allowed to not wear their belt is if they sign a waver that says when they're in an accident they'll be left to die or repay every last cent of their medical care.<br /><br />I'm all for letting the idiots kill themselves off, it's the ones that survive that annoy me...

 

[JB]

Re: Seat belts

This weekend while on the road I saw many of the "Click it or Ticket" signs reminding Texas drivers that belts are required.<br /><br />A new one has popped up. It reads, "$200 fine" added below the other one.<br /><br />Often overlooked in the debate is that a belt keeps the driver behind the wheel in a careening vehicle, maximizing his/her chance of regaining control and avoiding an "accident". I learned this on the racetrack and transferred it to the road right away. Wearing a belt has allowed me to avoid crashing several times.

 

[QC]

Re: Seat belts

Good point JB. I remember the first time I pulled a skier with someone elses boat. My boat had a full wrap around seat, the other boat had more standard back to back seats with no side support. Anyway, the skier fell and I did what I always do when I hear "down"; I looked to my left to make sure I was clear, back down the throttle a little, and turn hard to port. Ended up sitting on the floor with no visibility etc. Luckily I held onto the wheel and got myself back to the helm before anything bad happened . . . <br /><br />No, this is defintiely NOT a "let's put seatbelts in boats" post. Maybe it's a "make sure you are familiar with the boat before you do anything stupid" post, but the main point is staying in the seat is a good thing.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Seat belts

I feal naked without mine on.<br />I can't believe that an EMS would make such a statement aspeck. I am truly stunned.<br />In 7 years of inspecting wrecked cars, I have yet to see a fatal accident in which the fatality was buckled up. And at least 90% of the "severe" injuries were from unbelted occupants.<br />I feel that passing laws to require their useage is wrong too.<br />I also feel that airbags are a waste of money, that a properly worn seat belt will protect you from all but the most severe of impacts. So in other words, if you die wearing a seatbelt, you were going to die anyway.

 

[JB]

Re: Seat belts

Originally posted by TilliamWe:<br /> if you die wearing a seatbelt, you were going to die anyway.

Bull's eye, TilliamWe.

 

[notinbig]

Re: Seat belts

everyday since I buried my best friends 13 month old little girl.<br /><br />RIP Kylie.

 

[aspeck]

Re: Seat belts

Quietcat makes a very good point, why not have seatbelts in boats? Would help keep people from getting thrown overboard, maybe even run over. Have had a lot of calls to the lake where people are "thrown to the back of the boat" and come out with broken bones, etc. Wouldn't have happened if they had a seatbelt on. So, why aren't all of you that call anyone who does not buckle up in a car stupid petitioning the authorities to make boat seatbelts mandatory?<br /><br />How about why are you going to the junk jard a getting seatbelts and installing them in your boats? It would be much safer.<br /><br />Now, before I go any further, I want it on record that I am not against anyone wearing a seatbelt. Do they save lives? Sometimes. Do they help you maintain control of your vehicle? Yes. But should they be manditory? NO! Unless, as said earlier, we are going to outlaw greasy burgers, high fat content ice cream, smoking altogether, alcohol consumption, etc, etc, etc. Where should big government draw the line?<br /><br />Even though I chose to not wear a seatbelt because of an accident I was involved in, and several that I have seen, I would agree that in many cases it is a good idea, and do not want to make it sound like no one should ever wear one. But is SHOULD BE A CHOICE. Period. I am done.

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Seat belts

In a boat you are unlikely to be in a collision, unlikely to be seriously hurt if you're thrown from the boat, unlikely to be going as fast as a car, and likely to drown if you're strapped in. Kill switches take the place of seatbelts.

 

[Realgun]

Re: Seat belts

The poll sould have had a "Sometimes" box to check.

"There is either yes or no there is no sometimes"<br />as quoted by Yoda.

 

[Link]

Re: Seat belts

I voted yes the other day.<br />After I thought about it<br />99.9% of the time and NEVER<br /><br />Neverwhen hunting on back roads and trails..not much is going to happen between 3 and 20 mph and if it does.. well thats just fate. <br /><br />aspeck <br />

Even though I chose to not wear a seatbelt because of an accident I was involved in, and several that I have seen, I would agree that in many cases it is a good idea, and do not want to make it sound like no one should ever wear one. But it SHOULD BE A CHOICE.

AGREE Big Time<br />99.9% Sometimes I will forget when running out for coffee etc but am reminded when I get to the end of our street because Im used to the tug of them when I look each direction for traffic.<br />And YES every once in a while I say (Blank) it.. I'm tired of all these laws and wont buckel up. Happens maybe once a year or every two years.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Seat belts

I wear mine religiously now, but when I was younger, I went through phases of wearing it and not wearing it. My wife was pretty strict about me buckling up when we first started dating, because at the time she was an EMT at our local ambulance, and could attest to what happend if the belt was not worn. The only time I don't wear a belt is when I am snowplowing, its too difficult to turn around to see where I am going, I am on private driveways and parking lots, but once I am back out on the street the belt comes back on. I am not going to say those who do not belt up are stupid, its their choice, I just sit and shake my head at myself when I think about the times I didn't belt up. I am getting better about PFD'ing up, since I can't swim. So far this year I have been PFD'ed on every trip.