Seat Belts Save Lives
 

I've witnessed the immediate aftermath of three fatal car accidents over the course of my life, each scene is engrained in my memory. Tonight, I very nearly witnessed a fourth.

Driving home tonight on a dark quiet country road, I was shocked to see a young man standing in the middle flagging me down. At first I was confused, but then a blood soaked young girl and severely damaged car came into view and it all made sense.

The young man had lost control and the car had careened into a field, I suspect as a result of a tire catching loose gravel on the shoulder. The car only barely avoided a truck parked in the field; a truck that would have brought them to a dead stop instead of the relatively gentle one that occurred.

Even with that relatively gentle stop, the young girl, who was not wearing a seat belt, hit the windshield and has a very serious head injury. If the car had hit the truck, I would likely have come across a young man who had just killed his girlfriend and the body of a young life cut short.

The young man was totally fine, he'll be sore but nothing more, because he was wearing a seat belt.

So, remember everyone...

Wear your damn seat belts, and make your passengers do the same, because when you get behind the wheel it's not only your life in your hands.

Thanks.

I never understood why people don't wear seat belts =/

It's safety and common sense at the same time, aaaand it's annoying when the seat belt light comes on and beeps on and on, for newer cars at least.

I also never understood the "I'm in the back seat so I don't need to wear a seat belt" wut

What I hate is being in taxis in third world countries where they hide the seatbelt buckles under the rear seats so you can't buckle up.

Some of my friends came from countries where it was legal to not wear the seat belt when sitting in the back seats of a car, so whenever they sit in my car, I always have to remind them to buckle up.

from where I was from... it's only illegal if you dont buckle up on the highway.
i'm sure the laws are different now but I've witnessed people flying to the windshield and cracking it..luckily they suffered no injuries but it's pretty scary

i've also seen an x-ray of someone who didn't wear their seatbelts..and their jaws literally fractured into pieces when they hit the steering wheel...so to me it seems stupid for people to install racing wheels in their cars, unless it's purely a track car and you'll be wearing helmet all the time it doesn't seem worth it to have wheels without SRS

Thanks Dad.

:troll:

Welcome to Vancouver. We don't have any real "highways" here but that doesn't stop everyone from doing highway speeds on regular roads.

I always wear my seatbelt... I know how to drive, but I don't trust a single one of you idiots out there.

I never start my car without a seat belt if i am about to drive.

I think it's because if you do go forward, the two front seats will stop your momentum. Correct me if I'm wrong - but that is my guess.

Buckling up should be a habitual, subconscious behaviour. It's tantamount to sitting in the seat of the car.

if you need to think about wearing a seat belt you need to gtfo my car.

where as if you flip you are going to no get stopped by the front seats... idiots

My best friend and i were run off a gravel road when an oncoming white truck was speeding through the middle of the blind corner, we missed head on by inches but the passenger rear dropped over the edge of the ditch and my friend lost control, slid to the side then he over corrected and slid into the ditch on the left
http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/1867/mysummer057.jpg
http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/1617/mysummer070.jpg

Wear your seat belts, only injuries were my cuts from the shattered window, and some bruising but we both walked away and were sore for a few weeks.

I still rather be secured by a seatbelt than to get slammed into the front seats though lol I hope seatbelt sensors get installed in the back seats in new cars soon as a requirement

Never start a car if your passengers are not buckled up, and DO NOT allow your passengers to read a book or to fall asleep, it's as bad as not buckling up. Pay attention to the road will likely to survive in an accident.

I say that because my neighbour died in a collision, she was reading a book in the backseat, her head smashed the rear window.

You're welcome, Son.

At times some of us may forget, RS has a lot of members ranging from their mid-to-late teens. Teens as inexperienced drivers are far more likely to be involved in an accident; they have a propensity to behave foolishly and flout rules for no logical reason; and are especially vulnerable to peer pressure making it difficult to stand up to a passenger not wearing a seat belt. It's those young members that this post is most directed at. Making mistakes in youth is to be expected, but leaving seat belts dangling is simply not a mistake that can afford to be made.

If an adult chooses to not wear a seat belt and is involved in an accident, frankly they're past the age where I would give them any sympathy for injuries sustained. It's just a matter of natural selection, then.

Wearing a seat belt for me is a habitual, subconscious act. I even feel slightly anxious not wearing it and I get absolutely no benefit not wearing it (I don't feel mild discomfort in the first place).

I've got a relative that refuses to wear seatbelt. He said he drove many years without incident and he's good enough of a driver that he won't need seatbelts. The weird part is that his wife agrees with him. WTF. :facepalm:

good enough ... until the first hit that is. Some people have absolutely no sense for risk.

Then you end up like me.
Buddy in the back seat was 240lbs and not wearing his belt. I was in the front seat, wearing my belt. When we hit the tree he flew forward with such force that it pushed me into the windshield smashing 6 teeth, and fracturing my neck.

Wear your motherfucking seat belts, please.

i remember reading or watching something that states dogs and babies are more likely to come out of an accident better because their body is relaxed when the accident occurs thus helps prevent injuries. The reason why you would be more prone to accidents when you are aware is because your body tenses up a lot and you naturally try to over correct the forces of impact which increases injuries.
So shouldn't the passenger reading a book or not paying attention be better?

I don't understand how people don't put on seat belts. It has became a second nature to just get into the car and just buckle up. it doesn't even bother your driving.

When I get into a car, I feel uncomfortable not wearing a seatbelt.
I like the feeling of something holding me onto the seat and it's always a safety precaution I don't want to forget.
I only got one life, and I'm not stupid enough to risk it by not wearing a damn belt that doesn't even seem uncomfortable to have around me

Took the words right out of my mouth (no homo)

my cousin was driving a car with his friend in the passenger seat with no seat belt, they lost control of the car and hit a cement post under BC place. cousin lived, the friend didn't.

People obviously fail if they can't detect sarcasm with a :troll:. I do agree with you.

I look back at some of the stuff I did in my teen years and just go :facepalm:.

Life is short, and life is fragile. We all seem to forget too often.