Driving without seatbelt

[GeorgeG]

I always wear my seat belt and if my wife ever gives in to my desire for another motorcycle I WILL wear a helmet even though the law doesn't require it - it just makes good sense. However, laws mandating seat belts and helmets don't address the accident problems at their core, which is safer driving by all - reduce the number of accidents and you will reduce the death and injury.

 

[Darsa]

I think it's careless and irresponsible to not wear a seat belt when there is one available.. Not wearing a seat belt definitely has an impact on others - such as your loved ones - who one day may be in the position of grieving an unnecessary loss..

I could not possibly agree with you more, C.Ann; I still can't believe that people balk at the idea that wearing seatbelts could be hazardous!! There are hazards to eating broccoli too, I'm sure, I mean choking, badly cooked, dipped in acid... but I'm still gonna eat it! (sorry, just finished dinner, lol)

It makes NO sense at all to not wear a belt, and it's foolish to think that noone will be affected by your injury/death due to not wearing a belt.

I wish I could find statistics as to how many people's lives were saved because they WEREN'T wearing a belt, as opposed to how many were save because they WERE wearing a belt. That would be interesting.

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

My problem with the seat belt law is that school buses do not have them. I mean, it's a bus full of kids! And if it's an elementary school bus, it's a bus full of small, light kids. I know you guys have to remember that video a few years ago, when the school bus was in a wreck (not sure what happened to cause it). There was a boy who went airborne and his back actually hit the ceiling of the bus.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

If you have no friends or family to speak of, have insurance coverage with at minimum cap of at least $10 million, will promise to hold faultless the individual who does you damage in an accident as well as the individual's insurer, and are willing to wait in your car in the event of an accident for an individual will not be emotionally shaken by the sight of your mangled body to come by and prep you for the funeral home/trauma center, then most certainly, you are entitled to not wear your seat belt in your car or your helmet on your motorcycle.

If, however, you cannot fulfill those prerequisites, I'm pretty certain your choice to not wear a seatbelt or a helmet, depending upon motor vehicle choice, does indeed impact other people, and is thus something that the rest of us have a qualified interest in.

 

[Mandychelle79]

Big difference law in FL car=seatbelt Motorcycles-no law for helmet... doesn't have to make sense...just the law

Makes sense from an insurance standpoint for there not to be helmet laws. Helmets save lives, but the person can be severely injured. Cheaper to pay out the 1 time death benefit than it is to pay for the injuries. When PA dropped their helmet law, I do believe I had read that those who lobby for the insurance companies had nothing against it and this was why.

 

[mykidsand_i]

If you have no friends or family to speak of, have insurance coverage with at minimum cap of at least $10 million, will promise to hold faultless the individual who does you damage in an accident as well as the individual's insurer, and are willing to wait in your car in the event of an accident for an individual will not be emotionally shaken by the sight of your mangled body to come by and prep you for the funeral home/trauma center, then most certainly, you are entitled to not wear your seat belt in your car or your helmet on your motorcycle.

If, however, you cannot fulfill those prerequisites, I'm pretty certain your choice to not wear a seatbelt or a helmet, depending upon motor vehicle choice, does indeed impact other people, and is thus something that the rest of us have a qualified interest in.

Well said! I am sooooo sick of the "it only hurts myself" crap. That is such an immature statement. You can even Keep telling yourself that AFTER the fact that you've been in an accident and gotten seriously hurt. You'll be BROKE and no insurance will want to take you as a 'risk to them!!!'...who is it hurting then? When you have thousands of dollars in health bills that you can't pay? WHO is it hurting??? It's hurting the hospital, Dr.s, nurses and staff that aren't getting their money so they can continue to run the proper way...

NO ONE can be prepared. NO ONE. YOU can be the safest driver, YOU can go to 'driving school' once a month, YOU can buy the safest car, but YOU cannot control other peoples poor choices. That will never change.

I WISH that people who had multiple 'seatbelt' violations had to sit and watch a movie that compares to what I'VE SEEN IN PERSON. They should have to ride around with an ambulance to witness car accidents and make them feel that this is a REAL PROBLEM.

My dad never wore his seatbelt. NEVER. He wouldn't. It saved MY life (I would have been through the windshield if I wasn't wearing one- then who knows where...), It saved my aunts life, and it also damaged her life that this other IDIOT wasn't smart enough to wear one. After that, my dad won't go across town with out one on. It doesn't change certain people UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE!!!

The very young child in the back seat of the other car was untouched...physically. Mentally, it would be challenged due to the fact that the childs DAD was not smart enough to buckle up.

Yes, I've been fighting hard also for seatbelts to be put into busses. I'm upset with a system that says "financially, it doesn't pay off"...it's really horrible. I do agree that busses NEED belts!

 

[wdw_girl_18]

My not wearing a seatbelt has no impact on any one else.

So if you happened to get into an accident & you were not wearing a seat belt and became handicapped from that accident or even worse, you died, it would not have an impact on anyone else?????



Just my opinion, but not wearing a seat belt has an impact on many people and can have horrible consequences. The state of Illinois is always ticketing people who do not have a seat belt on. As we hear all the time on the news.. click it or ticket people!

 

[lillygator]

Well said! I am sooooo sick of the "it only hurts myself" crap. That is such an immature statement. You can even Keep telling yourself that AFTER the fact that you've been in an accident and gotten seriously hurt. You'll be BROKE and no insurance will want to take you as a 'risk to them!!!'...who is it hurting then? When you have thousands of dollars in health bills that you can't pay? WHO is it hurting??? It's hurting the hospital, Dr.s, nurses and staff that aren't getting their money so they can continue to run the proper way...

please, don't go there, this is a major issue in itself which has NOTHING to do with wearing seatbelts.

 

[lillygator]

So if you happened to get into an accident & you were not wearing a seat belt and became handicapped from that accident or even worse, you died, it would not have an impact on anyone else?????



Just my opinion, but not wearing a seat belt has an impact on many people and can have horrible consequences. The state of Illinois is always ticketing people who do not have a seat belt on.

not saying it would not impact my family, but it would not impact the average person in any way. Just as not wearing a helmet has no impact on me.

 

[iwrbnd]

I'm surprised auto liability will still cover your medical expenses when you didn't wear your seatbelt!

My son was in a wreck and the3 people with seatbelts walked away. The one person w/out had to be life flighted. I was almost expecting my insurance to say "sorry but you chose to not wear it so you choose to pay". They didn't but I can almost see an argument for it!

 

[mykidsand_i]

please, don't go there, this is a major issue in itself which has NOTHING to do with wearing seatbelts.

It has a lot to do with not wearing a seatbelt!!! AND, it has EVERYTHING to do with the DUMB statement that was made about "It doesn't hurt ANYONE ELSE if I choose to not wear a seatbelt"...It hurts more people than YOU would know. Even if you have no family (who would be in PAIN if they lost you because of no seatbelt)...even if you have no friends...it still hurts the people that don't get payment from your medical bills...it hurts the people that have to care for you for the rest of your life...

It was a statement made because YOU brought that horrid comment into this issue. YOUR choice would hurt a lot of people, even if you don't know who they are.

When people choose to not wear a seatbelt, they must face the fact that if they were in an accident, bills need to be paid...It is a constant struggle with my aunt. SHE HAS TO FIGHT with people at HER insurance company to get them to understand that the last surgery she's had to have needs to be paid, it's a FIGHT everytime she goes into the Dr. It's a FIGHT everytime she has to get a scrip for pain meds...all because PEOPLE AREN'T getting paid 'in their right amount of time'...ALL BECAUSE SOME IDIOT REFUSED TO WEAR HIS SEATBELT!

 

[Rora]

I think it's careless and irresponsible to not wear a seat belt when there is one available.. Not wearing a seat belt definitely has an impact on others - such as your loved ones - who one day may be in the position of grieving an unnecessary loss..

And of course in most states (if not all) it's the law.. Yes - I'm one of those annoying law abiding citizens..

MTE.

 

[luvmy3]

It has a lot to do with not wearing a seatbelt!!! AND, it has EVERYTHING to do with the DUMB statement that was made about "It doesn't hurt ANYONE ELSE if I choose to not wear a seatbelt"...It hurts more people than YOU would know. Even if you have no family (who would be in PAIN if they lost you because of no seatbelt)...even if you have no friends...it still hurts the people that don't get payment from your medical bills...it hurts the people that have to care for you for the rest of your life...

It was a statement made because YOU brought that horrid comment into this issue. YOUR choice would hurt a lot of people, even if you don't know who they are.

When people choose to not wear a seatbelt, they must face the fact that if they were in an accident, bills need to be paid...It is a constant struggle with my aunt. SHE HAS TO FIGHT with people at HER insurance company to get them to understand that the last surgery she's had to have needs to be paid, it's a FIGHT everytime she goes into the Dr. It's a FIGHT everytime she has to get a scrip for pain meds...all because PEOPLE AREN'T getting paid 'in their right amount of time'...ALL BECAUSE SOME IDIOT REFUSED TO WEAR HIS SEATBELT!

Was your aunts accident caused by someone not wearing a seatbelt, or was she in an accident with someone who just wasn't wearing one?

 

[allison443]

Was your aunts accident caused by someone not wearing a seatbelt, or was she in an accident with someone who just wasn't wearing one?

She explained it in post #7...it sounds horrifying

 

[luvmy3]

She explained it in post #7...it sounds horrifying

It certainly does sound horrifying

 

[mykidsand_i]

It's not something I would ever wish on ANYONE to experiance! And, i believe that if more people would buckle up, they'd not only save themselves, but it would be out of respect for EVERYONE on the road.

 

[simba20]

My husband always boasts about the fact that FL has no helmet law for motocycles and that our state, GA, has no seatbelt law for pick-up trucks. When I aks him why he doesn't wear his seatbelt when driving his turck, he says "I dont have to. There is no law."

I reply, "It's your funeral and my $350,000 (total amount of life insurance I would recieve)."

 

[PatsMom]

I am alive today because I was wearing a seat belt back in the spring of 1984 when I had a bad accident. The drunk who ran a light and hit me is also alive, he had his seat belt on. His wife, who was unbelted, is dead. I need no further convincing. My car does not move until everyone in it is wearing their seat belt.

 

[Luvchefmic]

I am alive today because I was wearing a seat belt back in the spring of 1984 when I had a bad accident. The drunk who ran a light and hit me is also alive, he had his seat belt on. His wife, who was unbelted, is dead. I need no further convincing. My car does not move until everyone in it is wearing their seat belt.

Amen! I wasn't going to say it when I originally posted re-It's the law just do it....my DH & I were NY state certified EMTs from 1983-2005 it was our paid job and it was what we did as members of Volunteer Ambulance Corps. for our community. Sometimes we were on a crew together and most times not....neither one of us has EVER cut a dead body out of a seatbelt.

Have seat belts caused injuries, certainly it has happened, chest & shoulder injuries occur, has someone died & had a seatbelt on, this has happened too but usually the seatbelt was not properly fastened to begin with Or (our favorite) someone puts in on and then slips their arm through so they are "more comfortable" & don't want the "constriction of it across my chest" Don't wear a seatbelt and simply put given the right circumstances you become a projectile...hitting the windshield, sustaining chest crushing impacts into the steering wheel, etc etc....If ONE person who refused to wear a seatbelt or worse didn't put their children in safety restraints felt the horror of finding a person (adult) or an infant on the side of the road that had been thrown from the vehicle it may change their mind. My DOGS don't even travel in the SUV without being harnessed into seatbelts.

For the pp that witnessed that horrific accident with the person coming through their windshield I PRAY you seek professional counseling to deal with this.

Ruthie

 

[islandmum]

not saying it would not impact my family, but it would not impact the average person in any way. Just as not wearing a helmet has no impact on me.

wow you're a peach.

Wearing a seatbelt saved my sons life possibly, and certainly from serious injury when we were t-boned by an SUV into his door from a car wreck we had travelling to WDW ironically.

wearing a motorcycling helmet ensured my friend didnt die from head injuries when he was sideswiped by a bus and mashed into the sidewalk.

do you have kids? do you ensure they wear seatbelts? If they wanted to drive motorbikes would you encourage them to wear helmets ....... I'm going with a big fat YES, OF COURSE you would!

the fact you would choose to ride without a helmet or seatbelt I equate to my 5 year old saying they only want to eat chocolate for breakfast and stamping their feet even though they know its not allowed.

grow up, the dangers are obvious for not wearing helmets/seatbelts, constantly highlighted, and will save your life most probably if you suffer a major accident ..... but I guess it may flatten your hair and you wont look cool ..... is that your main concern