Anyone Driving to WDW? WEAR YOUR SEATBELT!

[Coastie]

We just returned from 7 terrific days from the VWL. However, on our return trip, the accident we witnessed put a damper on our vacation. In Clarendon County SC, North I95, a Ford Explorer/Expedition towing a camper crashed head-on into a line of trees at 70 MPH. As the first person on scene, the devastation is forever etched in my mind.

Without going through any specific details, I don't think any of the accupants were wearing seatbealts. There were 2 fatalities, 2 critical injuries and one very brused mom. We would like to relay to anyone driving, the speeds are high, there are many tailgaters and aggressive drivers. Please be careful and foremost - WEAR YOUR SEATBELTS!!!

 

[TIdoublegaER]

I can't agree with you more. A co-worker lost her 17yo daughter a week before Christmas last year. She was thrown from the car and suffered a severe head injury. The seat belt would have saved her life. DH is a flight nurse on an air ambulance and an ER. Unfortunately, he sees too many patients critically or fatally injured due to the lack of a seatbelt. He also witnesses first hand the devasting effect on the families. It takes only seconds to put on, but can mean the difference between life and death. It's just not worth it not to wear one.

 

[jmminarik]

Wifeypoo and I tend to drive most of our US based vacations. Beyond wearing our seatbelts, we also drive cautiously. Driving at a more moderate rate and not 'competing' with the idjits on the road means we're more likely to get where we're going without an incident. And when you cross paths with the idjits, getting out of their way and giving a friendly "I'm just a goober" wave will usually keep things sane. It's not like I'm out to 'win' anything nor am I likely to ever see them again (unless they wrap themselves around a tree).

In other words, slowing down and taking an extra hour or two to get where we're going and giving others the courtesy we'd expect go along way to getting to our destination.

-Joe

 

[yesdisneyfool]

We never leave without our belts. Our daughter was raised with a belt and even in other cars, she now 14, always says to the others "buckle up". Thanks for the reminder.

 

[DoeWDW]

Thanks for the reminder! We're driving to WDW in Sept. and we wouldn't think of not using seat belts. However, we'll have hubby's brother and SIL with us and I'll be sure to remind them.

I hope the rest of your journey was safe and uneventful.

 

[gepetto]

And wear them properly! I've seen too many kids slip the shoulder part behind them. Not safe!

 

[JulesMom]

Amen!

My brother wouldn't be with us today if it wasn't for his seatbelt!

 

[rbuzzotta]

We, too have witnessed accidennts on 95 heading south when we drive. Although not as horrific as what you saw, it sure makes you sad when you see it.

We have a sayinig in our car:

Buckle up or Buckle La..........

Don't know exactly what it means in English but to us it means if you don't have it..............booooommmmmmm...bad things can happen. My 3 DD's are forever saying, Buckle up or Buckle La when we get in the car

So, to all my friends out there:

BUCKLE UP............OR ..........BUCKLE LA.........

 

[Regina]

Coastie, I am very sorry that you had to see this. You must have some horrific images etched in your memory.

Thanks for the safety reminder. I hope that you're able to recover from what you witnessed. It must have been terrible.

 

[Coastie]

Thanks Reginina, it will take some time. Its like a photograh in my mind. My wife had to take over driving until we reached our hotel in Santee. I could not stop shaking for awhile.

I found out late yesterday, the little boy made it through surgery okay, the mom, as I stated earlier was very brused with no injuries. The other occupant, I was not able to find out their condition. The boy is to be released in a few days. Due to the privacy act, I was never able to get the families name... we wanted to send them a get well card from our family and also express our sympathy. If I had thought of it, I would have given the terrified little boy Mickey Mouse we had purchased at the Magic Kingdom. Something to calm him while waiting for EMS to arrive.

 

[VickiVM]

Don't forget those prayers, also. A sincere pre-trip prayer (for our safety and for those not so inclined to be safe) can add another level of "protection"

 

[JimB.]

I'm so GLAD someone besides me posted a rant about seat belts.

I'm a Firefighter/Paramedic by profession, and from what I see on an anecdotal basis, there are 2 types of people in accidents: 1. uninjured/lightly injured 2. dead/soon-to-be-dead.

Guess which group wears seat belts.

It's such a SIMPLE thing to do, and it WILL save your life (or your face). Remember, car parts are HARD (as is the road). If your body hits them, your body loses.

My own sad story: Last spring I had to respond to an accident on I-95. A Mazda MPV mini-van with ELEVEN people on board rolled over multiple times. When the van came to a stop, ONE person was still in the van. NONE were wearing seat belts. FIVE were dead on the scene. I had the unfortunate, distasteful & downright sad job of declaring a 5-year old boy dead on the scene. It was not pretty. It was not fun. I was sad & angry for quite a while.

And it was all preventable with some seat belts ( and safe driving).

If you don't wear them for yourselves, wear them for your friends and family that may have to deal with your loss someday..........

 

[Lesley]

A good reminder...and I'm sorry to hear about the accident. We just arrived home via 95 today ourselves.

Drive safely, everyone! And buckle up!

 

[cgcw]

Don't forget the car/booster seats for the little ones. It makes me ill to see kids bouncing around a car when it's moving. Especially when the drivers are wearing their own seat belts. We don't even pull out of the driveway unless all the little ones are strapped safely in their hopefully installed correctly seats. I'm a home daycare provider and sometimes that means that all 6 of the kids need to be strapped in. Yes, it's time consuming but well worth the effort!

 

[BounceyOne]

Just a reminder, booster seats for children less then 80 pounds.
Your child might seem to big for a booster and may not want one, too bad. Put them in one. Seat belts are made for adults and do not fit children properly. Put them in a car seat or booster seat!

 

[Tigger1]

Great post, the reminder may save a life.

I saw a car drive by yesturday with 2 small children in front setting in a reverse direction. It was quite clear that no seatbelt was in use. I hope the driver was pulled over and given a ticket.

DH told me that he read that driving tired causes more accidents than driving drunk. So do not drive tired (or drunk of course).

Another thing I hate to see is passengers in the back of a pickup. Our local, small town, cop said it is legal not to have seat belts on since they are on the outside of the vehicle.

Keep safe

Tigger

 

[natcam1996]

I can see I'm going to like being a part of this group - the way you support each other. This discussion really hits home with me. My wife and I got into the parenting game late in life. I can thing of nothing more important than the responsibility parents have to keep their kids safe. Safety belts and booster seats for kids are just critical. I get queasy whenever I think about or hear about a child getting injured. I wouldn't want to have the conscience of a parent who didn't take this very basic and EASY safety precaution. Kids are the most precious trust given to us.

 

[sixcats]

We drove down to WDW last Easter for the first time. We've flown since 9/11 but thought this would be a less expensive, safer way to travel. Never again. There is a much greater chance for injury on that long drive. I have always heard that flying is safer than driving. After witnessing the driving on 95, I now believe it.

We always belt up. My brother would still be here today if he had worn his.

 

[CaptainMidnight]

Did you see this one?

http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/07/10/dangling.suv/index.html

It's on route 4 on the way to WDW isn't it?

We were on route 95 and were shocked at teh terrible driving habits and seeing 15 wrecks off to the side of the road. I've never seen so many wrecks as we saw on our way to Vero. We talked to a local from Boca Raton who said that the roads in Florida were jammed because people are driving now instead of flying post Sept 11th.

It is imparative to drive with caution and be sure your well restested for the drive. The danger level seems to be increasing.

 

[Sorcerer]

An FYI: the state of Virginia just passed a new law requiring small children to be in a booster seat. I don't recall the specifics, but you can be ticketed for not complying. Be sure to check before travelling through VA!