Seat Belts

[t020]

Originally posted by fnkysknky

The problem is though when you spend a long time in a vehicle like I used to - 6+ hours per day in a Transit van the seatbelt gets uncomfortable and I mean really uncomfortable. It gets to the point where you have to wedge stuff in it give you a little slack.

 

 

I've travelled in, and driven, cars for that length of time and more before, and at no point did I so much as even NOTICE that the seatbelt was there. Getting that bit of "slack" might just one day cost you your life.

[Grissom]

Don't forget the effect of rear-seat passengers not wearing belts and crushing front seat occupants... not nice. You might wanna give them the choice of not wearing a belt but the front-seat passenger about to be killed by them certainly wouldnt want them making that choice... would you ? Sometimes a little freedom is a bad thing.

[fnkysknky]

Originally posted by t020

I've travelled in, and driven, cars for that length of time and more before, and at no point did I so much as even NOTICE that the seatbelt was there. Getting that bit of "slack" might just one day cost you your life.

 

Try driving 2000+ miles every week in a Transit van and then let me hear you say it doesn't annoy the hell outta you. Giving the belt an inch or two of slack by wedging a bit of plastic in that will pop out if anything was to happen anyway is very unlikely to cost me my life - being that they actually sell devices that do exactly the same thing.

[Sam Miguel]

Originally posted by Jon

If a law came in saying its up to you if you wear a seat belt or not would or wouldn't you wear one?

 

I would wear one

 

Before January the 31st 1981 (or was it 1982?) that was the law, and hardly anyone wore one.

[Mike]

Yes, definitely. The two times I've been in serious crashes I was saved by my belt.

 

In the worst one the driver died - reason? His seatbelt failed to lock properly, his head went out of the side window and hit the road as the car rolled.

[Sam Miguel]

I don't think I'd feel properly dressed not wearing a seatbelt now.

[fuzzy]

Originally posted by rtapper

Don't forget the effect of rear-seat passengers not wearing belts and crushing front seat occupants... not nice.

 

Yep agree anyone in my car wears a belt, even if they don't like it.

And why are people always amazed when i get in a taxi, (or other car) and always put on my seat belt it should be automatic action.

[Foxxx]

Same here, I always wear one and get strange looks when I get in a taxi or black cab and put one on. Even when I get a coach somewhere I wear one and I'm about the only person apart from the driver that does! I was in a crash a couple of years ago as a passenger in the back and I'm glad I was wearing one. It also meant I didn't hit the person in front of me when I jolted forward. When I get in a car and sit in the front I will not let someone behind me sit there unless they are wearing one. I have got into arguments with people on this one before, I've asked someone to buckle up and they have said no, and said it's up to them if they want to fly out the front. I've pointed out that I want them to wear it because it's me who will get crushed and they didn't seem to believe me. I refused to go anywhere until they did the belt up. I made a real fuss, but rightly so I feel.

 

A friend of mine was in a crash a few years ago and was in the back not wearing a belt, when they had a head on collision with a drunk idiot. They saw the car coming and my friend put his arm up to protect him from hitting his head on the seat in front. He broke his wrist and his jaw on each other in the impact and pulled all his skin away from his jaw bone so his face was detached. He's ok now. Lesson to be learned there. Luckily he didn't crush the person in front. It wasn't his fault though as this happened in another country where there is still not a law for seat belts so there wasn't even any belts in the back of the car!

[jackthedog]

I read (dont know how true it is) that most Americans still think it's better to be thrown from the car in an accident than to be strapped inside. And apparently they also think that if you've got an airbag, you dont need the seatbelt.

 

So now, the US are bringing in new safety regulations that will mean any new car has to be designed to protect un-belted occupants.

 

How stupid is that? Wear your belt, if you dont want to wear it, then be prepared to face the consequences.

 

We already have a perfectly suitable device to protect un-belted occupants: the seatbelt.

 

I've experienced the lack of seatbelt usage in the US a few times, and it unnerves me quite a lot.

Idiots.

[feederfil]

One thing I can't understand is the logic of probabilities-the more you drive the more likely you are to be in a crash! So why does the law say that taxi drivers,bus drivers,lorry drivers and certain van drivers do not need to wear seat belts. Myself if I was one of those I would definetly wear a belt,as I would be in a high risk situation !