Seatbelts

I wear the seatbelt... if nothing else, its cheaper.

That being said, I do know individuals who have lost loved ones because of seatbelts.

 

Though I personally believe in seatbelts and actually feel naked when I'm not wearing it, I also believe every individual should have the freedom to decide whether they should wear it or not. If you feel as if it is confining or will trap you then you should have the #### freedom of not wearing it! This is a free country right? In Russia the have the option of not wearing it if they don't want to. Same goes with the motorcycle helmet. If you want to go without a helmet that should be your choice. What next, mandatory condom usage? Just as deadly!

I once got a ticket for having my visor open on my helmet at a redlight! Was summertime in Florida so when I got to the stoplight I opened my visor to get some air and was pulled over and ticketed for it!

Sorry for the rant, crap like this gets me going!

 

If I had one last best chance to control my truck after a collision, I prefer to be behind the wheel.

There are seatbelt covers to prevent chafing of even the most delicate necks.

 

I'm just going to leave this right here...

 

I've also always felt that it should not be the government's job to force us to wear a seatbelt. I was a LEO at the time the laws went into affect. It was department policy too. Caught not wearing one and your fired. That quickly made it a habit to wear one.

I've investigated wrecks where the person would be alive had they been wearing a seatbelt. The driver, a woman lost control, drove off the road, and rolled the vehicle. She was ejected, and the vehicle came to rest on her. Just her legs from just above the knees were sticking out from under the vehicle. I've also investigated 1 wreck in 24 yrs where the occupants may have been killed if they were wearing a seatbelt. A Jeep CJ5 clipped the tandem tires of an opposing semi. The Jeep spun, then flipped. The 4 occupants were ejected. When the Jeep impacted, upside down, the rollbar failed, separated from the body of the Jeep. I think if the occupants had been seatbelted, they would have been crushed. The rollbar would have been a fault in that too. As it was, they were injured, but survived.

I was first officer on the scene of 2 big trucks colliding head-on. All 3 occupants were killed. 2 were ejected, 1 driver remained in his seat. Upon my arrival, both rigs were fully engulfed in flames. I could see the man in the driver seat burning. The other 2 were found after the fire was put out, in the trailer of the truck they collided with. This collision occurred on a bridge at night. The fire so hot you could not get close to it. I think that driver that I saw burning was killed on impact, so if he was wearing a seatbelt, it didn't play a role in trapping him. It was unknown if he was wearing one or not.

5 kids were killed in a head-on collision. Teenagers that had been out partying. A 16 yr old girl that was seated in the middle of the back seat, would be very much alive today, had she worn a seatbelt. The impact threw her into the roof, fracturing her neck, and about 4 vertebrae down her back. That was one of the last fatality accidents I investigated.

Do I wear a seatbelt? Yep sure do. I'll take the odds of being trapped verses ejection any day. Do I think the government needs to force us? Well they should not, but they make laws to force us, because they think we're too dumb to make that choice.

 

My dad use to take his seat belts out of all his vehicles when I was a kid because he thought they were ugly and they sometime rattled against the cab. I guess that's why I don't wear one. I just never think about it.

 

Wear it or not. It is still a choice. But... Every state has their seat belt laws. I like my money and refuse to get a "here ya go stupid" ticket.

 

It's not just the states. When it comes to commercial vehicles, seatbelt usuage has been required by the Feds for years. It was poorly enforced, for a long time, but it's been there.

 

Hell of a way to die, ain't it?

 

I always wear mine , through the scale. We wrecked a few years ago. hit black ice and slid 2000 ft doing a one eighty rolled over on the pass side in the median sliding another 1000ft on our side all this from 45 mph. I was in the bunk getting thrown around the wife ended up hanging in the drivers seat with her belt on, I had injured my back and could barley move she hung there for almost an hour before the cops and ambulance arrived. No serious injuries No charges filed or tickets, no loss of employment, and the LEO complemented her on her driving skill avoiding the other vehicles. Destroyed the trailer and load was lost, tractor was towed and returned to the yard repaired and we put another 500000 on it before it was retired. Insurance paid for everything and the company actually made money on the deal.

NO Seat belts for me thank you.