lesson learned...wear your seatbelt on property!

[jarajam]

Just a warning for those driving on property... we had a very early reservation at Chef Mickeys and decided to drive from our resort to Contemporary... dh forgot to buckle up since it was such a short trip. As we were passing though the gates an Orange Co police officer came out from behind the check point and told him to pull over... $114 ticket for seat belt violation. Not the best way to start the day for hubby who already complains about how much money it all costs anyway! So be warned and dont forget to buckle up!!!

[DizneyRox]

I don't even put my car into drive without seatbelts fastened.

Most municipalities step up enforcement around the holidays too. There's one check point I've been going through every day for the past week. It ain't even Turkey Day yet!

[jarajam]

believe me, I am too. And he usually is too,but between being tired and rushing and dealing with screaming toddler who kept trying to undo herself from her own child seat because she wanted to ride the monorail, he got flustered and either undid it or forgot in the first place...hes not even sure! I totally agree with the law, but it was a downer for sure. And that is a mighty steep fine for seatbelt...but florida is mighty steep on all traffic violations.

[PETE FROM NYC]

Seat belt laws were passed for safety reasons, but have become a cash cow for various levels of govt.
Another erosion of our personal freedoms.

[SandmanGStefani24]

Another erosion of our personal freedoms.

:confused:
Seriously?? The law is to prevent you from knocking out your windshield with your face. In my line of work I see the results of people not wearing their seatbelts. I also broke two ribs as a teenager because I was too cool/lazy to wear a seatbelt. WDW is magical, I truly believe but that doesn't mean you don't need to use care and caution. Buckle up! :mickey:

[Renfairwedding]

I would have more respect for a seat belt law if my own state of PA and Fl make everyone wear a helmet on a motorcycle.

Seat belts may help in an acident but I resent it as a money maker.

[Mousemates]

I would have more respect for a seat belt law if my own state of PA and Fl make everyone wear a helmet on a motorcycle.

Seat belts may help in an acident but I resent it as a money maker.

good point in the first paragraph...and I agree with sentiment of the second.

[DizneyRox]

While I do agree with the whole saet belt thing, I don't necessarily think it should be a law.

If someone wants to fly through their windshield in an accident, they should be more than welcome to do so. Same with helmets, if someone wants to paint the highway with gray matter, go ahead.

I buckle up, and I won't even ride a bike with someone who doesn't wear a helmet.

[Buttercup]

While I do agree with the whole saet belt thing, I don't necessarily think it should be a law.

If someone wants to fly through their windshield in an accident, they should be more than welcome to do so. Same with helmets, if someone wants to paint the highway with gray matter, go ahead.

I buckle up, and I won't even ride a bike with someone who doesn't wear a helmet.
Actually, it's not just about the person who isn't wearing their seatbelt. Did you know that in an accident, human bodies can be projectiles and kill others in the car (or outside of the car)? Without getting too graphic, I've seen it happen. Person in the backseat wasn't wearing a seatbelt and everyone else was. In the accident, he flew through the front seat, killed the driver on the way by, out the windshield and hit someone on the sidewalk.

Wear your seatbelts, and give me a break on the civil liberties. I'd appreciate it if you don't fly into my family members on the way out of your car.

To the original poster, I'm sorry the ticket started your day off on the wrong foot. That is a hefty fine, but I'm sure your husband won't accidentally forget his seatbelt next time because of it!

[A Big Kid]

While I do agree with the whole saet belt thing, I don't necessarily think it should be a law.

If someone wants to fly through their windshield in an accident, they should be more than welcome to do so. Same with helmets, if someone wants to paint the highway with gray matter, go ahead.

I buckle up, and I won't even ride a bike with someone who doesn't wear a helmet.

I would agree with you if you were willing to absorb all the medical costs associtated with not wearing your seatbelt.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

From someone who works with emergency responders...its heartbreaking to see families lose loved ones over a preventable death... please wear your seatbelt, helmet, life jackets etc....:sad: It really makes the issue of money seem insignificant when you have to tell someone their son, daughter, husband, wife isn't coming back:(

[MNNHFLTX]

No brainer (no pun intended)--seat belts and helmets saves lives. Anyone who works in a trauma center will confirm this. To the original poster--thanks for the timely reminder!

[ransam]

I wear seatbelts for two reasons.

1. about 5 years ago i was watching a basketball game w/ my 15 year old brother (I am about 20 years older than he is). I got a call from a friend asking me if I knew where my brother was, i told him w/ me. He was relieved and told me that there had been a terrible accident a few blocks from me, and all the kids were ben's age driving w/ a 17 year old. it was cold, snowy, and they were just having fun, speeding, lost control and hit a car head on. All 4 boys died, 3 instantly and the other a few days later, none were wearing seatbelts. My brother actually knew 3 of them, and 1 of them had helped me move into my apartment. the guy they hit head on, walked away w/o a scratch. not one.

2. again in my hometown. A member of the Kansas City Chiefs was in an accident. they slidded on a street and went off the road. Derrick Thomas, was the footbaall player. of the 4 guys in the car, 2 died instantly, and DErrick was taken to a hospital and died a few weeks later. None of them were weaing seatbelts. the one guy who was wearing a seatbelt, had no injuries and was fine.

I did the math. 10 people in a car accident. 8 of them no seat belts, all died. 2 had seat belts and lived.
that's all i need to know.

[brivers222]

I would have more respect for a seat belt law if my own state of PA and Fl make everyone wear a helmet on a motorcycle.

Seat belts may help in an acident but I resent it as a money maker.

Michigan keeps trying to remove the helmet restiction.... insane!

[Scar]

If we really want to save lives from automobile accidents, we should just ban automobiles.

[Urbss]

No brainer (no pun intended)--seat belts and helmets saves lives. Anyone who works in a trauma center will confirm this. To the original poster--thanks for the timely reminder!

Very true, but there are alo instances where the seatbelt or the helmet was the cause of death.

To me the bottom line is that our government should never mandate a safety item if there is even a remote chance that said safety item could actually cause an injury. I believe educate adults should be able to make this descision for themselves.

[A Big Kid]

Very true, but there are alo instances where the seatbelt or the helmet was the cause of death. To me the bottom line is that our government should never mandate a safety item if there is even a remote chance that said safety item could actually cause an injury. I believe educate adults should be able to make this descision for themselves.

That is like saying that sometimes people choke on food, therefore we should never eat.

I have been in law enforcement for nearly 2 decades. I have never seen a deceased occupant of a vehicle crash unbuckled from his seatbelt.

[Janmac]

I have been in law enforcement for nearly 2 decades. I have never seen a deceased occupant of a vehicle crash unbuckled from his seatbelt.

There was a wreck a few years ago where one car hit another in the side. Driver had his seat belt on but the force of the impact fatally snapped his head sideways . . .

In Missouri we have a seatbelt law. As it was explained to me by a State Senator, the insurance lobby wanted the law with a hefty fine, which was finally passed but with only a $10 fine, because of the opposition from the civil liberties contingent.

Paradoxically, if you have lost your front license plate, you face an $85 fine for not replacing that.

Go figure.

Jan

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

Not to sound holier than thou but I will not drive my car without a seat belt, nor will I allow anyone to ride with me in my car unless they buckle up! And having been a motorcycle rider myself, I would never go without a helmet either. The ones that may be injured while wearing their seat belts or helmets are usually the exception rather than the rule.

And don't even get me started on parents who don't buckle their kids in!!

To the OP, I'm sorry this happened. I can certainly understand how it could happen. Disney can be a very exhausting place and things do happen. I hope your husband was able to move past it and enjoy the rest of the vacation though.

[MNNHFLTX]

There was a wreck a few years ago where one car hit another in the side. Driver had his seat belt on but the force of the impact fatally snapped his head sideways . . . Sounds like a tragic, freak accident, to be sure. But I have several friends who are trauma flight nurses and I guarantee you that that 90+% of the motor vehicle fatalities they see are unrestrained.

In any case, we are veering from the topic at hand. It never occurred to me that authorities enforced the seatbelt so thoroughly on Disney property. It's good to know.

[Ed]

I don't even put my car into drive without seatbelts fastened.



:ditto:


I have been in law enforcement for nearly 2 decades. I have never seen a deceased occupant of a vehicle crash unbuckled from his seatbelt.

:ditto: again. In over 25 years in law enforcement, I have had the unpleasant duty of informing way too many relatives that their loved one was killed in an accident that they likely could have survived had their seat belt been buckled.



Sounds like a tragic, freak accident, to be sure. But I have several friends who are trauma flight nurses and I guarantee you that that 90+% of the motor vehicle fatalities they see are unrestrained.

Pick up any Florida newspaper on any given day and read the reports on fatal accidents. "The victim, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the vehicle by the force of the accident" is a predominant theme in those stories.

Please, folks - - we value all our Intercotees and their friends and families, and don't want to lose any of them unnecessarily. Buckle Up !


:cop:

[Buttercup]

There was a wreck a few years ago where one car hit another in the side. Driver had his seat belt on but the force of the impact fatally snapped his head sideways . . .
Ah, but if he hadn't been wearing his seatbelt, he would have been killed anyway because of such a huge impact. So I don't think you can assume that he would have been better off had he not been wearing it. Seatbelts aren't a 100% guarantee that you'll survive an accident, but they're at least giving you a better chance.

[DisneyDog]

16 years ago, I was in a car accident. Thank goodness I was wearing my seatbelt. My car was hit twice from behind (I managed to stop, and the guy behind me was hit again and, therefore, hit me a second time as well.) Then, his car came down on the back of my car and flipped me up and over. My car landed on it's roof in on-coming traffic. I walked out of that accident without a scratch. I still have a lot of muscular damage, but I lived, and I have continued my life, gave birth to a son and I am so very, very lucky. If I had not been wearing my seatbelt, I probably would not have survived.

My mom was in a car accident when she was a child. Their car did not have seatbelts. She was in a body cast for months due to a broken hip. She had to have a hip replacement when she was only 40 years old because her cartiledge had completely deteriorated. That accident affected the rest of her life. Thank goodness cars were built like tanks back then. They aren't any more. A tiny little car could crumple and kill you in an instant.

Don't mess around with your life. It's not worth it. It only takes a second, but it could save your life. Aren't you worth it?

[garymacd]

As an emergency responder, I hate seeing people hurt and killed in collisions (I will not call them "accidents". I am convinced there is no such thing as an "accident". Accidents cannot be avoided. Collisions always can.) I hate seeing the reactions of family and friends that have survived the collisions I have attended. I find it disgusting the suffering that the innocent people in the collision have to suffer.

But the worst thing I have seen is the suffering of a family when a young unrestrained child rocketed around the inside of a car scrambling the heads and bodies of not only himself, but everyone in the car!

Are fines a cash cow? Maybe. But ask yourself this; would you, and would others, wear seatbelts without the threat of repercussions?

I doubt it. It took over thirty-five years for Ontario drivers to reach 92% compliance with seatbelt laws. With fines ranging from $200 to $1000 people really think twice about not buckling up.

The same could be said for wearing lifejackets in boats. It is not mandatory, but a really good idea! My father couldn't swim to save his life, insisted we kids wear them but would not put one on himself. The compliance rate isn't near what it is for seatbelts and without fines, the compliance level for seatbelts would be just as dismal.

[Buttercup]

Well said, Gary!
Just noticed you're from Stoney Creek! We're just down the highway in Brantford!
Nice to have another person from the area on Intercot! :mickey:

[garymacd]

Well said, Gary!
Just noticed you're from Stoney Creek! We're just down the highway in Brantford!
Nice to have another person from the area on Intercot! :mickey:

Thanks Buttercup.
I was just through Brantford a couple of days ago. And of course, wearing my seatbelt.

I was thinking the closest Intercotee was in Ajax.

[LudwigVonDrake]

I always wear my seatbelt :wave:

[Mickey'sGirl]

I was thinking the closest Intercotee was in Ajax.Nope. Just the coolest!

:cool:

[captain j]

believe me, I am too. And he usually is too,but between being tired and rushing and dealing with screaming toddler who kept trying to undo herself from her own child seat because she wanted to ride the monorail, he got flustered and either undid it or forgot in the first place...hes not even sure! I totally agree with the law, but it was a downer for sure. And that is a mighty steep fine for seatbelt...but florida is mighty steep on all traffic violations.
No excuses. Buckle up!
He was wrong. Pay the fine. Sorry but you won't get any sympathy from me. I was an EMT for 15 years and I've seen the effects of not wearing a seatbelt.

[Victor Kelly]

Prove Darwin right, don't wear a helmet or a seatbelt.:thumbsup:

I have been in 2 serious accidents where I otherwise would not have walked away from because of seatbelts. My wife is here because she had her seatbelt on in her own accident. Nuf said.

[Buttercup]

Nope. Just the coolest!
:cool:
hahaha:funny:
Okay! I don't mind being the Second Coolest. :thumbsup:

[garymacd]

I was thinking the closest Intercotee was in Ajax.


Nope. Just the coolest!


hahaha:funny:
Okay! I don't mind being the Second Coolest. :thumbsup:

Um.

Hello!

Talking to the original Joe Cool in a Speedo here!

[Janmac]

(I will not call them "accidents". I am convinced there is no such thing as an "accident". Accidents cannot be avoided. Collisions always can.)
But ask yourself this; would you, and would others, wear seatbelts without the threat of repercussions?

Great post with good points. And yes, I do and have always worn seat belts. When I was growing up my dad had to install seatbelts in the cars he bought. Even as a teenager, I wore seatbelts.

While I was at an A school at Great Lakes in the Navy, there was a big effort to increase seatbelt usage. We saw all those Signal 30 movies and even had a retired race car driver come and speak to an auditorium of all A school students.

He talked about the team of drivers he was on that went to Italy, at a time when the US race car drivers were using restraints but the Italian race car drivers weren't. And thought it silly to do so until they had obviously worse times on the track compared to the US drivers. Their times improved, by more than 10 seconds he said, when they drove the US cars using the restraints.

The point he was making was that seatbelts keep the driver behind the wheel so the driver can work solely on trying to either keep control or regain control of the vehicle, instead of also trying to stay behind the wheel, with greater possibility of avoiding a collision. Staying behind the wheel was really a difficulty when most vehicles had bench seats.

It's not just the drivers, tho, as you pointed out in your post. Our grandson's vehicle rolled over on its side on an icy road, and he wasn't hurt until the unbelted passenger fell on him. Wish I could say he's a seatbelt believer. :(

Jan

[Zawadi]

Nowdays the technology and comfort of a car make the drivers complacent to the fact that they are in charge of 1 to 2 ton killing machine.

In the UK we have "the advanced driving test", which is the civillian equivalent of the police driver's test. My instructor asked which is more dangerous giving someone the keys to a car or a 6-shot revolver. Answer, the car as you can only kill/injure 6 with the gun.

The seatbelt is can be considered a double-edged sword. It protects you from being flung around if your vehicle is hit. It also provides a sense of safety meaning that as a driver you might take more risks and loose control of the vehicle. A 6" spike in the steering wheel would deter risk takers.

Seatbelts are designed to protect you.

To protect yourself and others learn to become a proactive, observant driver who ensures that the correct speed, postition and gear (manual transmission or even override in an automatic) is maintained for the road conditions and hazards.

Do I agree with the fine? Yes. However there are other fines that should be imposed - holding and using a cellphone whist driving.

[AXOAlum]

OP - thanks for that information! I haven't heard of this before. (But yes, we always wear our seatbelts even on short trips - trust me, 9 year old will not allow rule breaking!!)

For those of you saying it is your right to not wear a seatbelt, I wanted to throw in that a family member was involved in a collision that was not his fault. The person he hit was not wearing a seatbelt and died. My family member had a hard time coping with "killing" someone even though he was not at fault in the end. He lived with a lot of guilt that he didn't deserve because that person was irresponsible. It was a very sad situation all around.

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

hahaha:funny:
Okay! I don't mind being the Second Coolest. :thumbsup:

Hey! Don't forget the two cool intercotees (who ALWAYS wear their seatbelts) in Brampton!

My dad was a police officer, and it was just the rule, the car doesn't move until we're all buckled up.

The same with car seats/booster seats, even before a booster seat was the law.

It only takes a second to buckle up, and is well worth it, especially on vacation where you don't want anything bad to happen.

[MouseHouser]

Thx for the fair warning. Yes, that is a pricey ticket, and I bet it was a blow to have it occur in the happiest place on earth.

To the EMTs who took this occasion to trumpet the importance of wearing the belt, I understand your POV. Point taken.

To the average poster who basically said that you got what you deserve, sorry, but that sounds like sanctimonious rubbish from a pedestrian intellect. We all make mistakes, and when we admit them in a public forum, we don't need people piling on, acting as though they're perfect and you did something criminal.

Thx for the 411. I hope you were able to shrug it off, and it didn't spoil the magic.

[sixshot19]

I sum it up like this. We don't like being told what to do. "this is my car, I'll do what I want".

But next time your in a car and you are about to drive away unbuckled, think this simple thought

Can my family get by without me?

A minor collision turns fatal when your unbuckled. Why let your family ride the Tower of Terror without YOU.

Just my 2 cents.

[sixshot19]

Hey! Don't forget the two cool intercotees (who ALWAYS wear their seatbelts) in Brampton!
.

Another cool buckled up Bramptonian here, by the way.

[jarajam]

boy, sure didnt mean to open up a can of worms!!:blush: All those who are wondering...I wasnt disputing the need to wear seat belts...I am actually quite militant about it myself. And the title does say Lesson Learned!:) It was just a heads up to remind everyone to not get distracted and forget, bc they are checking and you will pay nicely for the transgression!:) :mickey:

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

Another cool buckled up Bramptonian here, by the way.

I didn't know I had an intercot neighbour! Too awesome ...

Now, back to the thread, I agree that is can be easy to let habits slip on vacation, but this is one you want to keep ... for your safety, but also for the pocketbook!

[garymacd]

boy, sure didnt mean to open up a can of worms!!:blush: All those who are wondering...I wasnt disputing the need to wear seat belts...I am actually quite militant about it myself. And the title does say Lesson Learned!:) It was just a heads up to remind everyone to not get distracted and forget, bc they are checking and you will pay nicely for the transgression!:) :mickey:

I think we have been preaching to the choir here. It seems everyone who has posted uses seatbelts.

Is there anyone here who can stand up and state they do not wear their seatbelt?

What's more, can you give a thoughtful, cogent and well-reasoned argument for not wearing seatbelts, helmets or lifejackets?

And, no stories about your half-brother's ex-wife's father's uncle's best-friend's cousin (twice removed) who survived a collision at 90 miles per hour and was thrown from the vehicle without a scratch. They are the exception and a statistical anomaly that could possibly be used to prove Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle. (WOW! It sounds good, though)

[Renfairwedding]

hey garymacd.... How do you know?....

my half-brother's ex-wife's father's uncle's best-friend's cousin (twice removed) who survived a collision at 90 miles per hour and was thrown from the vehicle without a scratch.

and it was 89 mph not 90....


____________________________________

Sorry I just cound not resist it.... :blush:

[garymacd]

hey garymacd.... How do you know?....

my half-brother's ex-wife's father's uncle's best-friend's cousin (twice removed) who survived a collision at 90 miles per hour and was thrown from the vehicle without a scratch.

and it was 89 mph not 90....


____________________________________

Sorry I just cound not resist it.... :blush:

Well. 89 mph. That's believable!

[andreallybadeggs]

? about the original post. By the "gates" did you mean one of the entrances to WDW or the Contemporary gate? I've seen patrol cars on property but never parked at the gates of
a resort.