lesson learned...wear your seatbelt on property!

[Ed]

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

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.

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 !

[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!

[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!

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

[Mickey'sGirl]

I was thinking the closest Intercotee was in Ajax.

Nope. Just the coolest!

[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.

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!

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

[garymacd]

I was thinking the closest Intercotee was in Ajax.

Nope. Just the coolest!

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

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
Okay! I don't mind being the Second Coolest.

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!! 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!