I always where mine. Even when my state had a law stating that in a truck you didn't have to wear one,i still did. I just don't feel like dying because that belt can be uncomfortable.

 

Many years ago, while still immortal (read 16-25) I told my Dad exactly this. When it's my time to go, it's my time to go. Nothing can change that. His response? "True enough. when your time is up, it's over. But until that time comes, how much pain and suffering you endure on the way is fully controlled by you."

I used to race roundy-round in cars and on snowmobiles. Always bought and used the best safety equipment. Wrecked a few times, but never ended up with more than bruises. So, I wear my seatbelt. And I wear my helmet on the bike. If you don't, that's your choice. And I admit I hate helmet and seatbelt laws, because they impose other peoples values on all.

Having said that, if you don't believe that seatbelts save lives, don't wear yours. it's good for the species. The laws of natural selection will ensure that the genes of the smart people who do wear them continue on, while the not so smart are evolved out of the equation.

The smart, the swift, the strong survive. Natural selection works.

 

Good post.
Yeah I am sure Earnhardt would have had every neck brace in the world if he knew he would die that day due to something that could have been prevented.

 

very true, I wear mine all the time, even though I have a 'cow killer' front bumper

 

The only time I wear a seat belt is when I go into the big city, besides when I get stopped for speeding if I am not wearing a belt the troopers will write me for no belt instead of speeding, this helps keep insurance costs down.

X

 

Well I always wear mine.
I am still writing stuff because of the seat belt in a car, because of the helmet on my head on my bike... both occasions were while cruising on a well known road, very close to home.
I have read an interesting study about airbags (european cars) This study said that the probability to get killed or severely injured in an accident is much higher without a seat belt when an airbag is involved. The body is getting much too close to the airbag that is designed to decelerate you in the assumed position for wearing a seat belt. There were some interesting high speed pics that showed that the airbag slammed the body backwards and increased the injuries over a standard steering wheel.
I'm pondering to get one of those mainly to extract other drivers. Until now my leatherman has worked OK but there's always room for improvement.
Something else I noticed is that in very many situations the seat belt was a great aid in preventing an accident. We have a lot of twisting mountain roads and in winter you sometimes do slide a bit too much and you hit (quite slowly) a snowdrift or the like. In those situations you can easily correct by steering and either braking or accelerating but only if you are in your seat. If you ain't doing the right thing then it's very probable that you roll down several hundred feet... but the best accident is the one you avoid IMO

AlpineRAM

 

i've seen quite a few people dead from not wearing a seatbelt and a couple dead becasue they were wearing it. i can say the latter is much more the exception. i used to never wear mine and even got ticketed for it once but decided one day (prior to my direct experiences with the dead) that i had survived enough crazy and stupid stunts in my time and i didnt want to press my luck (or God ) now its on every time i drive