calz28

i wouldn't call this a race or a kill story but more of a warning for sure, i was on atlantic blvd in va. beach this morning and i heard tires screeching and then a loud boom, i turned around and saw a huge dust cloud, then i saw a fire hydrant on its side, then in front of that a TOTALED civic, and a butt naked dude laid out on the street, at first i thought he got ran over, but i looked closer and realized he was ejected from the car, he had blood coming from his mouth, head and other cuts on his body, what happend was he was speeding down a small but busy street and some one pulled in front of him and he swerved and hit the fire hydrant with the front right portion of the car, sending him into a flip, destroying the car and shooting him out the window, on the way out his pants got caught on some thing and ripped off, it was pretty gruesome, i thought he was dead but then he started moaning, i dailed 911 and they showed up within 3 minutes, from now on i am gonna wear my seat belt, and watch where i speed, i haven't heard if he made it or not, but i hope he pulls through, 'cause the image of him oozing blood all over the place is gonna be stuck in my head for a while

BLKWS.6

Damn...

Skarecrow

I don't get it, why wouldn't you wear a seatbelt? Especially considering the power of our cars. Regardless, I wear a seatbelt in every car I'm in, no matter who's driving. It used to bother me that school busses don't have seatbelts.

Maybe someone can inform me... what's the downside to wearing a belt? It doesn't really restrict your range of motion, it isn't (or shouldn't be) uncomfortable. All I can think of is some kind of "I'm a badass, I don't need safety gear!" feeling you might get from not wearing a belt?

I had a friend tell me that a relative of theirs was trapped in a burning car when their safety belt locked after the accident and was unable to be opened. My personal opinion is that's just about the most unlikely situation in the world considering how simple the belt mechanism is... and if the accident was so bad that it crushed the belt release mechansim AND set the car on fire, you probably would have been dead already on impact without the belt.

Besides... the easy solution to worry about that problem? Carry a couple knives on you at all times like me.

BLKWS.6

Seatbelts have caused many deaths, they used to slide along the neck as the body flew foreward (if not adjusted right) And I for one had my back displced by a seatbelt and had 3 months physical therapy for it. (not sure what would have happened w/o belt, but it didnt keep me from hitting my head on the B-pillar, so prolly worse off for having it.

BLKWS.6

All that being said...i wear mine 100% of the time

GuitsBoy

iTrader: (4)

I feel like the seatbelt keeps me firmly planted in the seat during cornering. Especially since I drive a manual and cant stabalize myself with my left foot the way you can in an automatic. I know this isnt exactly the way it works in reality, but at this point it feels funny to not wear a belt. I definately feel like I have less control without the belt.

Besides when your car stinks and shakes like a paint mixer at a traffic light, the seat belt isnt gonna make you look like a pansy.



** my car dosnt really shake like a paint mixer. Description was for dramatic effect.

1LE4ME

Eight Utah State Universtiy students and one teacher were killed when their 15 passenger van rolled this last week. Two more were critically injured, but not one person in the van was wearing a seatbelt and all were ejected when it rolled down a ravine. Seatbelts are a must and a lot of people don't realize that.

CharlieCobra03

$101 here if ya don't wear one.

FLeXNuTZ

I hope the guy will be okay, I kinda know how he feels. I got my shin snapped in two playing football back in '99 and it is just about the most helpless feeling in the world to be injured badly. I can't imagine how badly he was injured but I'm sure it was worse than a snapped leg. When you mentioned the word "moaning" that brought it all back. It just sucks feeling so helpless wondering what the **** happened and if you're going to die or not. Hopefully he'll wear his seatbelt from now on and you will too. Please let this be a lesson to you because I would hate to see you or anyone else end up like that.

Chris95Z

iTrader: (3)

very true about being trapped, I think sometimes in that type of situation a person may be in such shock that they may not be able to undo their seatbelt thus they believe they are trapped, the locking mechanism is pretty failsafe in design. Sucks to be the guy in the honda, being ejected without pants on is some ****.

urbanhunter44

iTrader: (1)

any car i'm driving doesn't move until everyone's seat belt is on.

blksbth11

i think i can recall a few stories of people getting hurt by seatbelts. Id rather have a seatbelt break a few ribs than my head slamming through hard glass. I sit there until everyone in my car has em on. Thats got to be an unimaginable feeling laying there like that guy. I hope hes ok.

FLeXNuTZ

Ditto. I make people put a seatbelt on in my car too, not only because I can get fined here in New Mexico, but I don't want to have to undo my belt and go scoop their jelly bodies off the pavement after we wreck.

COMNBYU

There are pro's/con's either way you look at it. I'm not going into it because they have already been mentioned.

Me personally, I think it should be a personal decision, no matter how stupid that may sound to some of you. There are a lot of everyday things that "may" or "can" cause harm to ones self that nobody gives nearly as much thought to, or that are not against the law.

My only gripe with the whole seatbelt thing is the laws. If you don't wear your seatbelts who are you endangering? Last time I checked there aren't any laws against suicide. It's absolutely absurdly rediculous that the govt. can fine you for acting in a manner that "may" cause harm to yourself.

I've heard some people say, "Well if you're wearing your seatbelt and happen to get into an out-of-control situation your seatbelt will help keep you planted better in order to give you better control". We all know that is almost entire BS. 90% of the drivers on the road wouldn't know what to do if their damned tire dropped off the pavement, much less in an "out-of-control" situation.


I'm not against wearing seatbelts. I do occassionally. But there's no way I'm "all for" the laws set up by the govt. I'm actually rather enraged











Jon

Skarecrow

My parents got me in the habit of wearing them long before it was a law here in MD. I personally think that it's a law (with fines) in order to get more of your money out of your wallet and into theirs, but I appreciate the idea. I understand that a lot of our parents grew up without seat belts, but none of us did (well, except the odd 50something year old running around these forums). I DO like that it's a law because that causes less arguements when people get in my car and I tell them to buckle up.

I did have a couple of friends tell me that it's only required in the front seat in maryland (which is true), and that they wouldn't put on their belts when they sat in the back of my car. So the car sat there idling for 5 minutes while we had this arguement out. I said "my car, my rules" and they were just about ready to get out when I finally said "fine, whatever, it's your life" and just left. I was SO tempted to drive "recklessly" (not for real reckless, but you know what I mean, Weaving left and right, throwing the car around corners, etc) just to get the idea through their head that maybe seatbelts are a good idea, but I thought better of it. *sigh*

BORN2LOSE

Is it ok to laugh if he didn't die???

unit213

Locked.