Driving without seatbelt

[luvmy3]

Not wearing a seatbelt is, in my opinion, selfish and irresponsible. Bodies become projectiles when unrestrained. You can be thrown into your front seat passenger, ejected completely from the vehicle, or tossed over the backseat into your kids. Watch crash test videos and look at what simulated 40mph crashes do to the dummies. Humans are generally ineffective at controling their bodies when they encounter those kinds of forces.

Then I guess its just as selfish and irresposnible to your passengers and other drivers on the road when you put a bag of groceries in your backseat, or a purse on your front seat, or anything in the passenger area of your car without restraining it. How many of you do that

 

[freckles and boo]

Then I guess its just as selfish and irresposnible to other drivers on the road when you put a bag of groceries in your backseat, or a purse on your front seat, or anything in the passenger area of your car without restraining it. How many of you do that

That is a good point. I buckle down my kids' boosters even when they aren't in them. Anything can be a projectile, but a 125-200 pound person is going to do a lot more damage than a 3 pound purse. There is a very grim British video simulating what one unrestrained person can do in a car. I am not so worried about my loaf of bread or gallon of milk.

 

[binny]

Then I guess its just as selfish and irresposnible to your passengers and other drivers on the road when you put a bag of groceries in your backseat, or a purse on your front seat, or anything in the passenger area of your car without restraining it. How many of you do that

My purse rarely weighs 150 pounds.

And anything that I would have that would be that heavy would be carried in a trunk or the back and would likely be larger

 

[luvmy3]

My purse rarely weighs 150 pounds.

And anything that I would have that would be that heavy would be carried in a trunk or the back and would likely be larger

In an accident, a loose cell phone could kill a passenger, weight has nothing to do with it

 

[luvmy3]

That is a good point. I buckle down my kids' boosters even when they aren't in them. Anything can be a projectile, but a 125-200 pound person is going to do a lot more damage than a 3 pound purse. There is a very grim British video simulating what one unrestrained person can do in a car. I am not so worried about my loaf of bread or gallon of milk.

I wouldn't worry about a loaf of bread, however your gallon of milk would be a problem. My dh offered to run the calculations about how much that stuff would weigh traveling 40MPH but I didn't want to bore you all (or myself)
I remember reading an article acbout a woman who was killed by her laptop, it definitely opened up my eyes to what could happen in a car during an accident.

 

[freckles and boo]

In an accident, a loose cell phone could kill a passenger, weight has nothing to do with it

So could a milkshake. Until I see some real evidence that I shouldn't drink a milkshake while driving I will continue to buckle up and enjoy my shake. My cellphone will stay in my purse on the floor where it belongs.

 

[luvmy3]

So could a milkshake. Until I see some real evidence that I shouldn't drink a milkshake while driving I will continue to buckle up and enjoy my shake. My cellphone will stay in my purse on the floor where it belongs.

But again, your purse could become a projectile during an accident and do the same damage as an unrestrained passenger. So to call one irresponsible and selfish while doing the other is hypocrisy.
Ironic too, that it would take real evidence against a milkshake for you, however you are basing your opinions about seat belts what ifs. Do you know the statistics of human projectiles killing/injuring people? A video can shoiw you what can happen, I'm sure a video could show your milkshake straw poking an eye out, or spilling over your face and blocking your vision, however one wouldn't be so quick to say they shouldn't be in the car without data to support thats what does happen/ and how often it does happen. Why is it acceptable to do that for seatbelts?

 

[freckles and boo]

But again, your purse could become a projectile during an accident and do the same damage as an unrestrained passenger. So to call one irresponsible and selfish while doing the other is hypocrisy.
Ironic too, that it would take real evidence against a milkshake for you, however you are basing your opinions about seat belts what ifs. Do you know the statistics of human projectiles killing/injuring people? A video can shoiw you what can happen, I'm sure a video could show your milkshake straw poking an eye out, or spilling over your face and blocking your vision, however one wouldn't be so quick to say they shouldn't be in the car without data to support thats what does happen/ and how often it does happen. Why is it acceptable to do that for seatbelts?

Because I have a father who spent too much of his professional life as a firefighter pulling bodies out of windshields and scraping people off roads. I don't NEED statistics to know what that did to him. Because I saw the heinous bruise on my mother's face when she rear-ended a car and the scar on my brother's forehead from flying into a metal radio dial as a child. Because I can see the LOGIC in wearing a seat belt. It makes sense to me.

 

[luvmy3]

Because I have a father who spent too much of his professional life as a firefighter pulling bodies out of windshields and scraping people off roads. I don't NEED statistics to know what that did to him. Because I saw the heinous bruise on my mother's face when she rear-ended a car and the scar on my brother's forehead from flying into a metal radio dial as a child. Because I can see the LOGIC in wearing a seat belt. It makes sense to me.

I'm not talking about the logic of wearing a seatbelt, that can't be argued, most people can see the logic. I'm talking about the effect of your choice to not wear a seatbelt has on others (in your car or out of). You said it was selfish and irresponsible, yet you don't see leaving your purse on the floor, or an object unrestrained, that you would need to see evidence as to what it does in order to feel the same.

 

[Darsa]

Because I can see the LOGIC in wearing a seat belt. It makes sense to me.

Exactly, exactly, exactly. There's no real reason NOT to wear a seatbelt, it's common sense to wear one. The reason that there are laws passed for things like this is because there are so many people who just don't use their common sense on a regular basis. Which is sad.

I'm sorry, but I'm pretty sure that my purse hitting the windshield is not going to have the same profound effect if a family member hit the windshield. So um, I'm not really sure why the whole projectile thing was introduced into this thread, but yeah, I'd be sad if my compact smashed and got powder all over my purse but... it's just not the same.

Wear your seatbelt! Yeesh!

 

[luvmy3]

Exactly, exactly, exactly. There's no real reason NOT to wear a seatbelt, it's common sense to wear one. The reason that there are laws passed for things like this is because there are so many people who just don't use their common sense on a regular basis. Which is sad.

I'm sorry, but I'm pretty sure that my purse hitting the windshield is not going to have the same profound effect if a family member hit the windshield. So um, I'm not really sure why the whole projectile thing was introduced into this thread, but yeah, I'd be sad if my compact smashed and got powder all over my purse but... it's just not the same.

Wear your seatbelt! Yeesh!

Why because you say we should? How about you make the choice for yourself using your logic and let others make their own? Yes, its not a very smart decision, but it should be theirs to make.

Do you really think that am talking about a purse hitting the windshield effectling someone else? I would suggest you read teh entire thread, or re-read it if you did. There have been posters saying that if you are unrestrained that you could become a projectile, not only injuring/killing yourself but you could do the same to your passengers, or in mykidsani's aunts case, be thrown from your vehicle and injure a passenger in another car. So, in that sense, your purse could do the same, your canned goods, could do the same, anything that is loose in your vehicle has the potential to inflict injury or death on you, or your passengers and maybe even passengers in another vehicle. That is why it was brought up, seriously I'm not talking about how upset your dd would be if your mineral make-up was splattered all over the windshield


So, if you area person who feels that any unrestrained driver is a hazard to you and your passengers, and you want everyone to buckle up for that reason, I hope you are restraining everythhing in your car that could do the same, because to not would make you a hypocrit. I think emotions come into play and people ignore the stats and data, which is fine but then you can't argue using it KWIM.

 

[Aisling]

I wonder if there are statistics on unbelted bodies becoming projectiles and injuring people in car accidents.

 

[mykidsand_i]

Until it's the law, I don't think I'll buckle up my purse, or my loaf of bread, or my gallon jug of milk.

 

[mykidsand_i]

Yes, its not a very smart decision, but it should be theirs to make.
There have been posters saying that if you are unrestrained that you could become a projectile, not only injuring/killing yourself but you could do the same to your passengers, or in mykidsani's aunts case, be thrown from your vehicle and injure a passenger in another car. So, in that sense, your purse could do the same, your canned goods, could do the same, anything that is loose in your vehicle has the potential to inflict injury or death on you, or your passengers and maybe even passengers in another vehicle.

It shouldn't be a 'decision to make' when it's already been made for you. It's like going out and saying 'how can I break the law today'...or 'what are my chances today?'

Yes, other things can fly through a windshield or hurt people in a car. I'm sure it happens. BUT, if that were a problem on a regular basis, there would be a law about restraining items in your vehicle too...The chances that a 170 pound person will be thrown through a windshield and hurt others are much greater than something that's the size of a cell phone.

 

[luvmy3]

Until it's the law, I don't think I'll buckle up my purse, or my loaf of bread, or my gallon jug of milk.

Thats fine, but remember that in some states its not the law to buckle your seatbelt either, so anything you say about what could happen because they choose not to, you can say about yourself.

I do realize you have a personal connection to this, and I'm not trying to diminish that

 

[luvmy3]

I wonder if there are statistics on unbelted bodies becoming projectiles and injuring people in car accidents.

So far I found this but I don't have time to look for more. Maybe someone else knows where to find the info.



http://www.saferchild.org/transport1.htm

Why everyone needs to be properly restrained: Some states require only that babies be buckled in. Others require only that front-seat passengers be buckled in. Research, however, indicates that all passengers need to be buckled in -- to save themselves AND the other people in the vehicle. In 2002, the University of Tokyo found that front-seat passengers who were buckled in were 5 times more likely to die if back-seat passengers were not properly restrained. In an accident, unrestrained passengers in the back often became human missiles, hurtling into the front seat and colliding with passengers there. The Tokyo study estimated that 80 percent of the deaths of restrained front-seat passengers could have been avoided if back-seat passengers had also been restrained. Other research shows that the converse also is true. In a crash, front-seat passengers can be thrown into the back seat, harming or killing properly restrained passengers in the back.


The bolded is quite eye-opening, there must be statistics out there to back that up.

 

[Darsa]

Ugh, edited to delete. I'm tired of taking the bait from people who just like to argue for arguing's sake, and not because it makes any sense.

Go in peace, y'all

 

[luvmy3]

Yes, because I'm that full of myself that I think that everyone should buckle up because I want them to. I say that because I don't want people to die, or kill others, or have to hurt because others choose not to. I say that, also, because IT IS THE LAW, no matter how it offends your sensibilities to be told to do something that should be common sense, it's the law. Following the law, however, is another one of those common-sense things that not everyone is willing to do.

Haven't been many threads that have caused me to as much as I have for this one. Wow...

Do you know what states have what type of seatbelt laws and who is covered under such laws. You will find that 1 state has none, and the rest do not have some blanket law that covers every passenger, so there are places, and there are people who would not be breaking the law by not wearing a seatbelt.
I think its great that you feel so strongly about others that you feel the need to chastize them for making a stuoid decision. I guess I just don't care that much

 

[Darsa]

Chastise? I don't see that I ever... oh, there I go, baited again by people putting words in my mouth... *sigh*

 

[luvmy3]

Ugh, edited to delete. I'm tired of taking the bait from people who just like to argue for arguing's sake, and not because it makes any sense.

Go in peace, y'all

I'm not arguing and don't need to, I'm being logical. There are too many here thinking with their emotions who feel the need to argue their point. If knew you were planning in deleting, I wouldn't have quoted you so I hope you dont feel pressured to respond.