Never wore seatbelts in an aircraft to survive a crash but to stay in my seat during turbulence and maintain control of the A/C to "avoid" a crash. Big difference! I stopped smoking when I was 27 even though I enjoyed it. I cut back on fats when my cholesterol was high. I do like Wild Turkey, Single Malt and BEER. Wearing seatbelts is my decision - I don't really care what you do.

 

exactly. to each their own.

i know why you wore a seatbelt in a plane, just trying to add some humor to the thread.

 

Heh, I still like an occasional cigar

 

I never wear mine in town, I had a buddy not wearing a seat belt that got T-boned and the car he was driving got completly crumpled and the cop said that if he had been wearing it he would have been dead because the drivers seat got pushed to where the passenger seat was. I usually wear mine on the freeway or when im pulling trailers.

 

I made it a habit when I first started driving. My mom let me drive out of where we worked (this was before I was old enough to drive), since it was back in a secluded area. The drive was very short, but she always made me wear a seatbelt. There was a video that the cops showed us when they came to our health class when I was in 9th grade, y'all might have seen it. It was an undercover cop, coming home, he didnt have a seatbelt on. He fell asleep at the wheel and I think he hit a tree but the way he made contact, he was thrown into the back seat and was killed.

 

I saw an accident once where a guy flipped his SUV at high speed. He wasn't wearing a seatbelt and was ejected and then the car rolled over him. Otherwise the vehicles cab was intact and there was no fire. This was completely survivable had he been restrained in the vehicle. Sure he would have been injured, perhaps severely but instead he got a closed casket funeral.

I'm sure tha there have been instances where people have been trapped in a car unable to release their seatbelts and were burned to death but this happens very rarely compared to the number killed because the rationalize excuses when they're just to stupid or lazy to buckle up.

I could say more but it would be to political.

Edwin

 

5 point harness, I would love to see a lady in a full lenght dress putting that on, now that I thought about it a mini skirt would be better. I use to have all the excuses not to put mine on, then I decided that I don't get any enjoyment with talking to the cops on the side of the road. now its a habit to just put it on.

 

Wear my seatbelt all the time except in my yard backing up to a trailer. I am so used to it I feel funny if I don't wear it. No big deal, it is the law so just put it on and shut up.......

 

I'll wear a seatbelt in any vehicle where it doesn't cut into the side of my neck. Which is everything but a Quadcab Ram. How do you guys stand that?

Jed

 

I agree with some of the comments about it shouldn't be a law. If you choose not to wear a helmet or seatbelt, so be it.


But that said.....you are a FOOL if you don't. Your odds of surviving a crash are so so so so much higher if you can just stay with your vehicle and not get ejected from it.

I always wear mine. Not because of the law, but because it is just using good common sense.

 

I know you've had many and varied responses...here's mine:

Number 1: There SHOULD BE NO EXCUSE FOR NOT WEARING A SEATBELT!

If it's not comfortable, find some fluffy attachment to make it comfortable.

You may drive safe, but what about the drunk speeding behind you with no lights on?

You only need a seatbelt once...Do you know when that will be?

I've heard that one too...That's a one in a million occurrence.

My friends brother had a similar incident...Very near death for ~12 weeks. What agony for the family. People never consider that their actions (or lack of) not only impact their life, but the lives of others! They are so self centered, they JUST DON'T GET IT.

When my wife (back then gilfriend) got in the truck heading out on our first date...Before I would move the truck, I asked here to put on her seatbelt. Never had to ask again...That was 8 years ago!

Hope this helps someone.

Tony

 

There are 'emergency' tools you can buy that have a 'diamond' point on the end fro breaking glass under water, a blade for cutting the seatbelt, and a few others that don't readily come to mind....Any other excuses?

Yeah, I'm passionate about this topic!

 

I always have, always will.

Its become a habit of mine to strap in before I even pull the e-brake release...(or shift out of park)

 

Never have. I might maybe five percent of the time. I've been in two wrecks, one substantial, and walked away without a scratch. If God says it's my time, it's my time, whether or not I have a seatbelt on...

 

Why don't you trust airbags?

It is the addition of airbags and inflatable devices that make some of these "small cars" much safer.

There are plenty of examples out there where occupants of these smaller vehicles walked away from a crash and would have been severely injured or killed if it had not had these safety restraint devices.

I am employed with an automotive safety products company and I am involved with the design and manufacturing of the inflators that fill the airbags, cushions and curtains for these life saving devices. I assure you that there is an extreme amount of testing done to verify that performance and safety standards are adhered to. We work closely with the car manufacturers and safety organizations to assure that standards are met and continuously improved.

Are airbags and similar restraints perfect? No, but they do save lives and at the end of the day, I feel a sense of accomplishment in doing my part to help make this helter-skelter life most of us live a little safer.

There is a development effort underway for airbags on Motorcycles. I think the application is for the larger touring bikes like the Honda Goldwing. I have not heard much about this for a while though.