Seat belt law discussion

**iamkungfool** · 05-08-2006, 11:27 PM

Originally Posted by aries4life

i love the fact that the chime can be turned off. I actually got red faced at work when it started nagging me and wouldn't stfu. I ALWAYS wear my seatbelt when driving on public roads and about 90% when riding with others so there is no way I'm responsible for getting them a ticket. But when I'm rolling around an industrial park or off-road, stuff like that on cars pisses my off.

On a side note, I believe seat belts should be a matter of personal preference. Children should wear them. Adults should have their choice. I've known many people that have survived horrible accidents BECAUSE they were not buckled up. They wouldn't be with us right now if they had obeyed a law that is only half-right. Maybe we should start a thread for shiz-n-giggles - "Seat Belt Law Discussion". Might be interesting.

I thought he was right about the discuss it thing.

I too know people who've died from wearing their seatbelt in accidents. However these accidents usually involved absurd roadway speeds (in excess of 100mph) and very solid stationary objects, usually trees. In one case the person's spine came to rest on their sternum (breast bone).

As for being personal preference, I would agree except for the fact that it would affect me. Let's say I had heath insurance (man that'd be great

) now let's say Bob isn't wearing his seat belt and get's into a "normal" accident, hydroplanes on a highway going 45 and slams into a jersey wall. His head goes through the windshield, the steering wheel breaks his ribs puncturing his liver and rupturing his spleen, his leg is broken from where it was stuck under the dash and the rest of him tried to go over it.

Bob now has several HUNDRED thousand dollars worth of avoidable medical bills. Now my health insurance premium goes up because he didn't wear a seat belt.

Same situation but with a seatbelt Bob would likely walk away with a really bad headache.

Personally I feel that to your typical good and bad driver, a seatbelt is a blessing. I do agree it's really annoying if I'm moving the car around the cul-de-sac or parking lot though. Anyway I welcome diverging opinions.

**DriveATransam** · 05-08-2006, 11:31 PM

seatbelts save lives. more people walk away from accidents that are wearing seatbelts than those who are not. whats there to argue?

**aries4life** · 05-08-2006, 11:44 PM

I found contradicting information the only time I actually looked for unbiased information based on fact.

Anything that can happen... will happen. If I haven't seen it go both ways multiple times, I would probably agree with a law.

I want to see as many opinions on this matter as we do about CAIs

Thanks for ressurecting this topic. Everybody here should buy stock in

**ZMAG** · 05-08-2006, 11:44 PM

You ever watched Carlos Mencia on the Comedy Channel? Well he has a great bit about stupid people and seatbelts. I'm not going to do it justice at all... but here it goes:

The law of Darwin, Survival of the fittest, right? Have you ever wondered why there are so many stupid people around? Because there are laws that protect them. That ensures their survival and helps to multiply their numbers.

If someone is stupid enough not to wear a seatbelt, then let them not wear a seatbelt. Dee Dee Dee (Carlos' "catch phrase")

Yeah... I didn't do it justice at all. Sorry.

I personally believe that everyone should wear a seatbelt, and I never get in a car without putting one on myself.

**iamkungfool** · 05-08-2006, 11:46 PM

i worship carlos mencia lol. btw rock on with your new mag!

**wheelife** · 05-08-2006, 11:51 PM

At what point do we say enough is enough. Should motorcycles be banned because there are more injuries, should skiing be banned because you might hit a tree, should I put on a helmet when I get out of bed!

**GO2496GO** · 05-08-2006, 11:52 PM

We (all 4 of us) have them on all the time! No matter how short the trip. How do you tell your 6 and 3 yr old to wear them if you do not? We are 35 been together 17 yrs been married 12 yrs and wore seatbelts 16 yrs. To many close calls.

**Clutch-n-Throttle** · 05-09-2006, 12:00 AM

I my 8 years as a California Highway Patrol officer, I have seen hundreds of traffic collisions. Not one accident have I seen that I said to myself, "You know, he would have lived if he wasn't wearing his seatbelt." I've seen many accidents that had the driver BEEN wearing their seatbelts they would have lived. I've seen minor damage collisions were the driver was not seatbelted and recieved near fatal injuries. Again, "Had they only been wearing their seatbelts". These accidents are gruesome. I dont beleive people when they say, "I know people who survived an accident because they were not wearing the seatbelt." They have not experienced the blood, guts, gore, brain matter, body parts all over the roadway, etc. They've never experience the anguish a family member goes through when they are told at the accident scene that their love one is dead. I've seen the aftermath of the accidents. It not fun.

Go ahead. Say its a personal preference. I cant stop you from not wearing your seatbelt. But I WILL ticket you. The CHP has a sign posted on all the major freeways and highways, "CLICK IT OR TICKET"

I dont like to get on a soapbox and preach. But when it comes to a very important safety issues such as seatbelt, speeding or DUI, I cant help it.

Be safe.

Jose

**aries4life** · 05-09-2006, 12:01 AM

Originally Posted by wheelife

should I put on a helmet when I get out of bed!

Originally Posted by GO2496GO

We (all 4 of us) have them on all the time! No matter how short the trip.

I'm sorry... I had to get this out... My messed up mind put these two comments together into a family of four waking up - going about their morning routine, business as usual - wearing DOT approved helmets.

It cracked me up.

**Shelby** · 05-09-2006, 12:01 AM

Figure out how high you would be willing to free-fall from and crash into a steering wheel and/or other stuff.

It doesn't take much to get ugly. Imagine jumping face first off the second story roof. It takes about 1 second to hit the ground and you are going a bit over 20 MPH.

In the real world people are occasionally severely injured just falling from a standing position.

**legmaker72** · 05-09-2006, 12:10 AM

I personally like having my seatbelt on. Even if just moving the car. I feel like I am not secure in the seat and move around too much without the seatbelt on.
Besides that....It's just a smart thing to do. Not that big of a deal in my opinion and the benefits definately outway the costs.
I'm with Jose...seatbelts, speeding and especially DUI...( this is just plain dee de dee! Stupid!

**DriveATransam** · 05-09-2006, 12:13 AM

its also illegal to not wear a helmet here. you have an 80% LESS CHANCE of a fatal accident if you wear a helmet. i dont care how "un cool" it may look, im strapping one on every time im on a bike (motorcycle). how can you argue with that? same with seatbelts.

**aries4life** · 05-09-2006, 12:15 AM

Originally Posted by Shaggin Magnum

I dont beleive people when they say, "I know people who survived an accident because they were not wearing the seatbelt."

I had to pick this one part out. I had three friends in high school that would have died had they been wearing their seatbelt. One was thrown into the floorboard after being tackled by a semi and the place where he WOULD have been was reduced to about half a cubic foot after rolling many times at interstate speeds. The other two were similar in nature (minus the semi

) but separate incidents. On the other hand, another girl is now confined to a wheelchair because she was thrown out the back of a moving vehicle that ran off the road. Seatbelt would have resulted in minor injuries.

It goes both ways because it's a game of chance whether you're wearing a restraint or not. I, for one, will continue to wear my seatbelt everytime I get on public roads. I will also continue to DISAGREE with it being a primary ticketable offense. I think that is about as rediculous as me having to wear a helmet when I run my '13.99 or better' station wagon at the dragstrip.

Love NHRA status

**wheelife** · 05-09-2006, 12:26 AM

Originally Posted by Shaggin Magnum

I my 8 years as a California Highway Patrol officer, I have seen hundreds of traffic collisions. Not one accident have I seen that I said to myself, "You know, he would have lived if he wasn't wearing his seatbelt." I've seen many accidents that had the driver BEEN wearing their seatbelts they would have lived. I've seen minor damage collisions were the driver was not seatbelted and recieved near fatal injuries. Again, "Had they only been wearing their seatbelts". These accidents are gruesome. I dont beleive people when they say, "I know people who survived an accident because they were not wearing the seatbelt." They have not experienced the blood, guts, gore, brain matter, body parts all over the roadway, etc. They've never experience the anguish a family member goes through when they are told at the accident scene that their love one is dead. I've seen the aftermath of the accidents. It not fun.

Go ahead. Say its a personal preference. I cant stop you from not wearing your seatbelt. But I WILL ticket you. The CHP has a sign posted on all the major freeways and highways, "CLICK IT OR TICKET"

I dont like to get on a soapbox and preach. But when it comes to a very important safety issues such as seatbelt, speeding or DUI, I cant help it.

Be safe.

Jose

Oh the irony of life... Its fine to talk about not wearing a seatbelt but then you go and post a picture of your severely overloaded car with cargo that's not secure. Oh! The Utility of It! At what point are we truly safe, we all take risks every day. Instead of forcing people to wear seatbelts they need to TEACH safe operation of a motor vehicle at the time someone gets there licence. Education will save far more lives than mandatory seatbelt laws ever will.