# Seatbelts: who doesn't use them ?



## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

In a Kanata mall recently, looking for a parking spot. Guy up ahead backs out of a spot and drives past us. Driving a recent full size pickup. Driver was a middle aged guy and he had a little boy with him: I'd say around 4 years old. Kid was standing in the front seat, leaning on the dash. *No seatbelt!* I was dumbfounded. We've always made our kids, and anyone elses kids, put on their seatbelts. Dont even have to mention it: they know we dont start driving until all of the seatbelts are on.

So, isolated incident? Or am I just overly paranoid about seatbelt safety?


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## Shark (Jun 10, 2010)

I have always worn a seatbelt. Considering the accidents I've been in, I'd have come out far worse had I not been wearing one. But you see all types on the roads. It's getting really unsafe out there. The other day I saw a woman in a minivan, texting and driving, only looking up at the road every four seconds or so, with several kids in the car. I wish that she were a rare case.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

For me it's automatic. When I was a teenager, my boss used to make fun of me because even if I was only moving the truck a foot or two, I would fasten my seatbelt before putting the truck in gear - it wasn't conscious, it was just what I did. 

But yeah, a lot of people don't. In our community there have been several tragic deaths of young people in the last couple of years that would have been prevented simply by wearing a seatbelt.


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## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

It has become first nature for me to buckle up. I have been a projectile in an accident once in my life and don't wish to repeat that wild ride. Even a low speed crash at 10 or even 5 mph will propel you at a speed you may not expect. Imagine running into a lamp post at that speed while jogging.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Hopefully, that guy belted down the kid (and himself) before leaving the parking lot. I have a bad habit of 'getting rolling' before I have my belt on (and my glasses, I keep my prescription shades in the car), but they're both on before I leave my home block.


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## kat_ (Jan 11, 2007)

I've always worn one. My dad was a cop and he never quite got over being first on scene to an accident where a 3 year old was killed.


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## allanr (Jan 11, 2012)

I wouldn't even think about getting into a car without buckling up. For me it's automatic.

On the other hand my daily commute is a 200cc Vespa. No seat-belts there!


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## dtsaudio (Apr 15, 2009)

In this day and age, there are still people that stupid not to buckle themselves and their kids. A four year old should be in a car booster seat not just a seat belt too.
And don't get me started on texting and driving. 
Future Darwin Award winners all.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Shark said:


> I have always worn a seatbelt. Considering the accidents I've been in, I'd have come out far worse had I not been wearing one. But you see all types on the roads. It's getting really unsafe out there. The other day I saw a woman in a minivan, texting and driving, only looking up at the road every four seconds or so, with several kids in the car. I wish that she were a rare case.


I think the seatbelt thing (not wearing them) is fairly rare now. But this texting and driving thing has to be stopped somehow. It is dangerous as hell


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

I always wear mine and if you're in my vehicle, you will too.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Back it 1978 I had a Dodge van with no seat belts. As I headed toward the exit, a car shot out in front of me and I had to slam on my breaks to avoid hitting him. My three year old son was on the front seat and hit the dash. He was not hurt buy had I been going slightly faster, he likely would have had a sore face, at least. 

Bluzfish, that buckles up before he puts the vehicle in gear, is the example we should follow. I'm like Keto who buckles up after I get rolling.

What happened in the parking lot with the other driver was a piece of ice got jammed and his gas pedal got stuck.


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## fredyfreeloader (Dec 11, 2010)

When I started driving at age 16 we didn't have seat belts in any vehicles. When the first seat belts arrived in cars they were lap belts the problem was those belts caused a lot of serious injuries and that convinced may people not to wear them. I don't know but for some reason known only to my feeble reasoning powers I wore them took a lot of shit from my so called peers for that.. When the shoulder belts came along I had been wearing a seat belt for so long it was automatic for me to belt up still do today.
My wife is waiting for the mouth belt to be introduced and made mandatory when driving. She wants one for the big easy chair in the living room as well, she claims she can't hear the TV.


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## Noise Supply (May 31, 2013)

Personally I feel naked without a seat belt, I don't see why people see it as so bothersome. It's actually more bothersome these days to not wear them - your car periodically annoyingly chirping at you, but I know that some people just ignore the noise. The greatest drivers in the world wear seat belts.

I don't think it's an isolated incident unfortunately. I notice it all the time. The most eye opening example for me was while driving a few years ago in the BC mountains with my now wife, an impaired driver ahead of us went out of lane and clipped the rear passenger side of an oncoming car - the oncoming car lost control and slammed into us head on. The car that lost control was a family of 4 - only the youngest girl had a seat belt (and booster seat), but the 8 year old boy, mom, and dad (a paramedic) were not wearing seat belts. Remarkably everyone walked away, but everyone in our car walked away A LOT better than them.

I also agree with Scott that texting and driving is a growing epidemic. Which is also very scary.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

First thing you do when starting up your car. I agree with Scot, the ¨texting¨is the more dangerous thing going on right now besides drinking and driving.


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

About 20 years ago, a few kids at a soccer tournament were in between games and decided to take a quick trip into town. Unfortunately, they got into an accident and three of five were not wearing seatbelts.
One was thrown clear and two were killed. The boys that were wearing seatbelt's were both fine and broken hearted at the funeral. The people that paid for their negligence of not wearing their seatbelt's were their parents, family and friends. It was a sad time. Wear your seatbelt's and like others have said here, don't drive away until everyone in the vehicle has put their's on. Don't be a statistic.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

I always have a belt on.

I also talk to text through my bluetooth headset.

fredyfreeloader, does that mouth belt come in women's sizes?


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## fredyfreeloader (Dec 11, 2010)

adcandour said:


> I always have a belt on.
> 
> I also talk to text through my bluetooth headset.
> 
> fredyfreeloader, does that mouth belt come in women's sizes?


I understand they are looking at the addition of a chirping reduction system in the mouth belt for women .


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

Can we discuss this without sexist jokes? It's not 1957.
seriously, once you have a daughter, you look at that stupid shit differently.


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

What some of you gentlemen are looking for is a Brank or Scolds Bridle. Not sexist Diablo, it's been used for both males and females. As far as. seatbelts go, don't need them on the bike. If it's legal to not use them, I don't use them. Same as I'd prefer not to wear a helmet on the bike......but that's just me. As far as texting or talking on a device while driving, even 'hands free'........seems that's just as dangerous. If you do that, check the organ donor box on your drivers license. And yes, I am an organ donor.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Electraglide said:


> What some of you gentlemen are looking for is a Brank or Scolds Bridle. Not sexist Diablo, it's been used for both males and females. As far as. seatbelts go, don't need them on the bike. If it's legal to not use them, I don't use them. Same as I'd prefer not to wear a helmet on the bike......but that's just me. As far as texting or talking on a device while driving, even 'hands free'........seems that's just as dangerous. If you do that, check the organ donor box on your drivers license. And yes, I am an organ donor.


To me, it's the same as talking to someone in the car. 

I actually find people in the car distracting. My wife makes these panicked noises to let me know she thinks I'm too close to a car - it scares the shit outta me.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Diablo said:


> Can we discuss this without sexist jokes? It's not 1957. seriously, once you have a daughter, you look at that stupid shit differently.


 Lighten up - it's not 1958s


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Well, lots of discussion that's branched off.

But I wear my seatbelt--almost automatic.


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

Always wear mine - never liked to be told though and resent that they made it law. 

I find it ironic that we wish to maim and jail a grownup for not belting in a kid, yet millions of kids spend their days going back and forth to school in a bus with ne belts - except for the one the busdriver is wearing.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

allthumbs56 said:


> Always wear mine - never liked to be told though and resent that they made it law.
> 
> _*I find it ironic that we wish to maim and jail a grownup for not belting in a kid, yet millions of kids spend their days going back and forth to school in a bus with ne belts - except for the one the busdriver is wearing.*_


I"ve always been puzzled with that one too. When those buses have a crash, there is usually a lot of injuries and sometimes a number of deaths to go with them.


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## dcole (Oct 8, 2008)

I always wear my seat belt, not only because of the potential safety benefits but also because its the law. Don't get me wrong, I am not a rule following, law abiding robot, I am just cheap. When the cops have the ability to pull me over and make me pay them money for not having a seat belt on or for speeding or for running red lights or for not stopping at stop signs, I prefer to follow the law and keep my money. Everyone else in Regina seems to not have that belief though.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

allthumbs56 said:


> I find it ironic that we wish to maim and jail a grownup for not belting in a kid, yet millions of kids spend their days going back and forth to school in a bus with ne belts - except for the one the busdriver is wearing.


I've heard two reasons for this:

1. Buses rarely come to a sudden stop.

2. In the event that you needed to get the kids out of the bus quickly, it would be difficult for the driver to help all of the kids get their seatbelts undone. I guess this one presumes that all the kids are very young.

I imagine that it has more to do with reason #1.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

I wear my seat belt only cause its the law. I got a ticket once, and just don't like the financial or point loss. I'm another one of those that puts it on while rolling. But I always had my children and grandchildren put theirs on.
I remember as a kid my and my brothers and sisters would be sleeping in the back window, on the floor or standing in the center. 
Back in the 70's my father bought a volkswagon van and ripped out all the back seats and made the back in to a bed (he used to travel around to all the bluegrass festivals and camped in it) and we'd ride everywhere just sitting on that, no seatbelts. Seatbelts are pretty much a necessity now because of so many bad drivers and texters that its only a matter of time before someone smokes your car.


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## Cartcanuck (Oct 30, 2012)

I wear a seatbelt when I drive, and I wear a bicycle helmet when I ride my bike. 

The first because it is law (and I'm too cheap to pay a ticket), has become habit, and I feel weird being in a car without it. The second because I've witnessed what can happen when wiping out on a bicycle without a helmet. That scared me enough to make sure I wear mine all the time. And after 2 concussions on the ski hill, the next time I ski will be with a helmet. I believe in taking precautions when they are easily and readily available and helping me get to older age with most of my faculties intact. And at my age, I don't care as much about looking cool


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

Electraglide said:


> What some of you gentlemen are looking for is a Brank or Scolds Bridle. Not sexist Diablo, it's been used for both males and females. As far as. seatbelts go, don't need them on the bike. If it's legal to not use them, I don't use them. Same as I'd prefer not to wear a helmet on the bike......but that's just me. As far as texting or talking on a device while driving, even 'hands free'........seems that's just as dangerous. If you do that, check the organ donor box on your drivers license. And yes, I am an organ donor.


Nice try, it was primarily used on females. Read up.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scold's_bridle

- - - Updated - - -



adcandour said:


> Lighten up - it's not the 1958s.


lol...why, what happened in 1958? pretty sure there was only 1 1958 anyways 
Perhaps you should be the one wearing the mouthgear.


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

Yes, yes, yes. Along with reading the newspaper, putting on your make-up, having your dog, or dogs, on your lap, holding a conversation with your kid, who's strapped into the back seat. My wife got hit a couple of years ago by a guy who was trying to light a cigarette!

Back on topic I always put my belt on, often after the warning buzzer though.



GuitarsCanada said:


> I think the seatbelt thing (not wearing them) is fairly rare now. But this texting and driving thing has to be stopped somehow. It is dangerous as hell


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

I wear mine all the time. I've lost 2 friends to separate late-night, drunken, country road, fell asleep, roll-overs. They'd both be alive and we'd all be laughing about it if they had been wearing seat belts. Looking into thier wive's eyes and seeing dull nothing (where there used to be sparkle) keeps me wearing it.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I wear mine and don't put the car in gear until I'm buckled in. It feels completely wrong to drive without a belt.

I also fly a lot and there have been many flights where the only thing that kept me from impacting the ceiling of the plane was the belt.

As for states where they have no helmet laws for motorcycles, those guys should be ineligible for medical insurance.

Actually, you should have to pass a basic intelligence test to be granted a motorcycle license. I figure that would all but eliminate riders who choose not to wear helmets.

I actually saw a guy in Ohio riding a harley wearing muscle shirt, shorts and sandals, but no helmet. That's not all that unusual, but the huge scar on his shaved head from a previous major surgery was.
Even if the surgery wasn't necessitated by a previous accident, wouldn't you want to protect it?
Anyone that dumb shouldn't be allowed to control a vehicle.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

People tend to evaluate safety precautions in terms of the things they know about, or feel they can predict or control. What they tend to neglect is the criticality of such safety precautions to the outcome of things you _didn't _or _couldn't_ predict or control. Yes, I'm sure you're a very good driver, but is that guy in your blind spot or the oncoming lane as good? Maybe that's te best advice for preventing impaired driving: "Would you want to be driving on a highway full of people in the same condition as you?".

Since the matter of bike helmets was raised, I'll recount the best "commercial" for a bike helmet I've ever seen.

I'm walking with one of my sons, and this kid comes barreling down the sidewalk on his bike. He's maybe 11 or so, and the bike is nothing special. For reasons no one anticipated (though probably gravel in the chain, or something similar), suddenly his wheels lock up, and the momentum makes the bike do a complete forward 180, and the kid's head does a piledriver right into the sidewalk. He gets up, a little dazed, but okay, checks his bike, and pedals off. Had he NOT been wearing a helmet, his folks would either still be spoonfeeding him lunch these 20 years later, or visiting his gravesite. So, yeah, its the things you don't expect that those safety precautions are for.

As for school bus seatbelts, I think one has to also factor in the cost of putting seatbelts on all those buses, and the time it takes for the driver to buckle and unbuckle the younger ones. Keep in mind that many schoolbus drivers will do one route then skootch off to do another. So anything that increases total time for the route (and making sure all the kids who got on at this stop are safely belted up will likely increase total time by about 7% or so) is viewed negatively. Then there are the costs of replacing belts that have been vandalized or otherwise busted.

So, for a wide variety of reasons, as sensible as it would seem on the surface to have mandatory belts on schoolbuses, unless folks are willing to start paying more for school transportation, it probably isn't going to happen.

And yes, I belt up as does my whole family.


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## kat_ (Jan 11, 2007)

mhammer said:


> Since the matter of bike helmets was raised, I'll recount the best "commercial" for a bike helmet I've ever seen.


Since the topic is now including bike helmets - most kids I see wear their helmets way too loose, pushed back clear off their foreheads. For everyone here with kids who wear bike helmets please make sure they're adjusted properly.


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## LPBlue (Feb 2, 2006)

I never used to wear a seat belt, that is until I had a spectacular roll over wreck from which I walked away. That was 1974, I was 18 and lucky once. Today I don't feel "right" sitting in a moving vehicle without being belted in.

J.R.


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## elliottmoose (Aug 20, 2012)

Yep, always wear a belt here too. I have two tales of wearing seatbelts: one involved a friend who lost control on a iced-over bridge and wound up landing on the roof of the car after he went over the side -- walked away with nothing but a bruised ego and a healthy appreciation for winter driving. 

Another was on a drive on good ol' highway 7 in Ontario, came up to a head-on collision between a car and pickup. Someone was already checking the pickup out, so I went to check on the car. A young mom was driving, got a nasty slam from the airbag but not too bad shape. Kid was sitting in the passenger seat up front and was having difficulty breathing -- get a pretty nasty slam from the seatbelt, broke most of his ribs, but still alive. The probably collided at a combined 180-200km/h and had they not been wearing seatbelt, little Junior likely would have met a different fate. 

In both cases, seatbelts (and other modern safety features) saved three lives and reinforced why my car goes nowhere without everyone buckled in -- I'm not too keen on scraping my friends off the pavement.


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## TA462 (Oct 30, 2012)

I always wear a seat belt, I feel naked without one.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

nkjanssen said:


> It's actually not at all. When you're talking to someone in the car, that person is also observing your surroundings and, whether they know it or not, will almost always be giving you cues - whether verbally or otherwise - about their perception of your surroundings. Whether it's a pause in the conversation when you're making a left turn across traffic or double-checking your lane change, a passenger will often tend to reinforce safety as much or more than they detract from it. When your speaking to someone on the phone, though, not only do you not have that subtle reinforcement of safe behaviour, but you have the opposite effect. Because that person has no situational awareness, they will continue to talk through dangerous situations, thereby making them more dangerous. Of course, passengers can be distracting and oblivious to their surroundings as well. It's not always safer to talk to a passenger. But hands-free and phone-to-ear are definitely equally as dangerous. Multiple studies bear that out. It's not the act of holding an object to your ear that's distracting. It's the act of engaging in a conversation with someone who has no awareness of your situation and surroundings.


Not at all? No similarities? None? Anyway, "to me" it's the same with respect to hindrance. You make it sound like it's more dangerous to drive alone. I don't agree, if that's the case. I don't substitute my observations while driving for other passengers' cues. The cues that I can't help but notice, are what I find hindering. 

Re your point on situational awareness - I listen to 680 news radio, Raw Dog Comedy, and some other talk radio. A lot of it is pretty engaging, but I haven't driven into a ditch yet. I'm very attentive on the 'ones' for 680, since I am on the road a lot. Dunno.

I would agree that hands-free and phone-to-ear are equally dangerous (minus the 2 versus 1 hand on the wheel?); I don't need to read a study about it, but I'm thinking it's the idiots who are looking down at their phone texting or dialling that are the serious problem. 

Can we agree to disagree? I really don't want to back and forth on this.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

bw66 said:


> I've heard two reasons for this:
> 
> 1. Buses rarely come to a sudden stop.
> 
> ...


I've seen crash tests with school buses, and the spacing of the seats and the construction of them are different than cars, vans & trucks, plus the larger size--so apparently they say you are safer without the belts.
A long as you don't flip over.

However--as usual, there are apparently other tests that say differently--but it's the former that get promoted.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

Talking/texting on a cell phone while driving is called "inattention blindness"

Here's a study...http://unews.utah.edu/old/p/062206-1.html

You tend to drive worse than if you were drinking.


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