[SnowCover]

do any of you NOT wear seatbelts in the car? (or have family or friends who don't?) In BMW or otherwise......

Two days ago, a car with 3 people over-corrected itself and they landed in the ditch. The car rolled over and all 3 people in the car were ejected and killed instantly. It made me sad because it happened near my favorite Shell gas station. The three young people(30 to 40) lost their lives. If they were wearing their seatbelts, the would probably have sustained minor injuries at most. RIP.

[tturedraider]

It’s been almost 45 years and I’m still going to get teary eyed just typing this. When I was in high school one of my friends, who was an amazingly talented singer, was killed right before graduation when she was thrown in a rollover accident and the car rolled over her. Virtually our entire high school came to her funeral and the church was literally standing room only. I’ve always been a seat belt wearer, but for more than a decade after that I had a personalized license plate that said “BUCL UP”. My car doesn’t move until everyone, front and back, is buckled up.

At the end of the funeral they played a recording of her singing the hymn “Lord, I’m Coming Home” and it was beyond emotional.

[nerdogray]

I never wear one. I have the nag coded out.

[reallymarkedup]

And there's your two type of people, inside of two replies.

[ppointer]

I wear one 99.9% of the time. The .1% is up or down the drive way, which is why I code out the seatbelt audio alert.

Maybe a year ago I was seated up front on a Delta flight. I could see the guy in 1D (right-hand aisle seat) intentionally sitting on his seat belt the entire flight, ground to ground. My opinion? He was a total dumbass, but at least seated in the front row would probably not hurt anyone else if he were to get launched.

[RigaTony1982]

I’m curious of the people who don’t wear them, what’s the rationale? Genuinely curious, not trying to start anything.

[BeEmVe]

Given the number of people who regularly die in accidents who are not wearing a seat belt I would say a considerable number do not.

[DanG]

I am one who always does wear one.

[Gainzberg]

Too many close calls on the road on a regular basis from people either not paying attention, texting, etc. I feel unsafe not wearing it...I don't see a negative in wearing it, only positives.

[SnowCover]

Originally Posted by BeEmVe

Given the number of people who regularly die in accidents who are not wearing a seat belt I would say a considerable number do not.

the number is shockingly high, after a quick google search.

it's 2024.. not 1984... yet people are still choosing not to wear seatbelts?

what's even more shocking was that a lot of parents let their little kids ride around without carseats or booster seats!(which should be criminal, IMHO)

[co_440i]

I was in a rollover once and my seatbelt helped save my life. I will ALWAYS wear it, and I will not drive a passenger who is not wearing one.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by Gainzberg

Too many close calls on the road on a regular basis from people either not paying attention, texting, etc. I feel unsafe not wearing it...I don't see a negative in wearing it, only positives.

I agree with this. In all honesty, besides the safety issue, a primary reason I wear one is the security it gives of holding me in the driver’s seat and I need that for the way I drive. Lots of people would call me an aggressive driver. I call myself a focused, purposeful, and intentional driver. Basically, I never drive like I’m on a Sunday afternoon stroll. I always drive like I have somewhere to go and I’m not interested in taking my time getting there. I’m not rude and I follow the rules of the road pretty strictly, I signal my intentions every single time, I don’t weave in and out of traffic, but I drive with purpose and I don’t dilly dally. Even though I do not drive slowly my friends have never complained that my driving causes them to feel uncomfortable and they are always very willing for me to do the driving. I will give one caveat to Sunday style driving. I love to drive up the two lane, Sheridan Road, on the north shore in Chicago, it is absolutely gorgeous, and I’m perfectly happy to drive 35 - 40 mph (which is still over the 30 mph limit ) and take my time to enjoy that drive.

[swellengear]

Originally Posted by SnowCover

the number is shockingly high, after a quick google search.

it's 2024.. not 1984... yet people are still choosing not to wear seatbelts?

what's even more shocking was that a lot of parents let their little kids ride around without carseats or booster seats!(which should be criminal, IMHO)

Yeah man. I totally agree re the kids without seats/belts. Here in SA I see kids standing on passenger seats on a daily basis! I don't have kids myself, but that sh1t makes me angry. Even my dog gets clipped on to the seatbelt when he's in the car! (by his harness, not collar)

Re the seatbelt thing, I genuinely feel uncomfortable when not wearing one.

[Nahlem]

Yeah in my car it is, no seatbelts? Well then it is the bus for ya. Hade a couple of friends back in the days around 15-18 years ago i think it was to this day, they drove of in the middle of night taking their mothers car on a "fun" drive they drove of the road at high speed, hitting a tree pretty much cleaving the car in two they got lucky, the car hit the tree in between front and backseat. They all got injured really bad one of them lost their eyesight to 60% vision or so in one of his eye, the other one got one punctured lung, the other ones escaped with various type of injuries that all required hospitalisation. The police report said hadn't they worn their seatbelts at that time, they would have perished due to the violent trauma. They were 5 in the car at the time of the accident and drunk at least they had the common sense to put on their seatbelts, though the hospital personal told them due to having alcohol in their blood at the time of the accident, they didn't tense up so that "helped" with "milding" the blow of the crash, but it was still really bad.

I know the driver got punished really hard they were all around 16-17 years old back then so none were eligible for adult punishment but the driver had to go on regular drug check ups until he was 19 years old and then he was eligible for driving license. Oh and yeah none had driving license back then sense you only can get one at 18 years old here.

[Raimo5]

I really don't understand why one would not want to wear a seatbelt. It's not just about the law, but your own safety. For me, it feels wrong and uncomfortable to be sitting in a car with no seat belts on.

I guess that is also why I fail to see tragedy when someone wipes themselves out by doing something stupid like not wearing a seat belt. Drivers are responsible for the safety of their passengers, but each and every one of us is also responsible for our own self-preservation. If you decide to get into a car with irresponsible driver or not use basic and mandatory safety equipment, then you leave the door wide open for grim reaper and what happens next is natural selection doing its work.

What does frustrate me though, is when irresponsible drivers cause harm to other, innocent road users.

[Westside Guy]

I will answer the OP’s question with two words.

COMMON SENSE!

[wizardofOz]

I wear one 100% of the time and request all passengers to wear one 100% of the time. To top it off, all central locking doors are locked because have had experiences of car thiefs trying to open the car doors at a traffic light stop.

[M_Chronos]

Am able to type this thanks to seat belts. For passengers in my car not wanting to wear one I inform them they are responsible for repairing any damage their face does to my interior. Not limited to bodily fluids cleaning and remediation.

[ekaz]

I do it for the hug as I drive off.
Seriously though, I don't see a reason to not wear one, it doesn't restrict your movement or anything and those 5 seconds it takes to put on can save your life.

[Pepo Lio]

My grandfather never wears seatbelts. He says that they bother him. No further ragioning

[RockCrusher]

Originally Posted by M_Chronos

Am able to type this thanks to seat belts. For passengers in my car not wanting to wear one I inform them they are responsible for repairing any damage their face does to my interior. Not limited to bodily fluids cleaning and remediation.

You can also tell the unbelted passengers they are responsible for any injuries their flailing about bodies cause the belted driver and belted passengers.

[RockCrusher]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

It’s been almost 45 years and I’m still going to get teary eyed just typing this. When I was in high school one of my friends, who was an amazingly talented singer, was killed right before graduation when she was thrown in a rollover accident and the car rolled over her. Virtually our entire high school came to her funeral and the church was literally standing room only. I’ve always been a seat belt wearer, but for more than a decade after that I had a personalized license plate that said “BUCL UP”. My car doesn’t move until everyone, front and back, is buckled up.

At the end of the funeral they played a recording of her singing the hymn “Lord, I’m Coming Home” and it was beyond emotional.

Sad.

More like 60 years ago I was with my Dad and we came upon an accident scene. A car with 3 young men in it left the highway and hit a very large -- and solid -- tree. All 3 men were ejected from the car. (The car was old enough -- pre WWII -- that it probably didn't have seat belts.)

I watched as a coroner checked each of the young men and found each one dead. In one case the coroner pressed down on the chest of one of the accident victims and the chest moved in a very unnatural way.

When seat belts became available I always put it on.

More recently -- back in 2000-2003 -- when I lived just east of KC MO there was a road in I believe Independence MO which had some very pronounced hills. The hills weren't high but pretty abrupt.

Some drivers liked to take this section of road at speed and get some air from the hills.

One night a driver took a hill with too much speed and the car came down hard and rolled. A young woman -- high school age -- was ejected. She was injured but alive. But a following car didn't see her in the road and ran over her and killed her.

It wasn't long after this the road was redone at least where the couple of hills were and the hills flattened.