Large Scale Central

Not Train Related but a public service announcement

General Discussion
#1

Ok so I had the craziest day. I was an off again on again seat belt wearer. I have gotten much better but still don’t wear it 100% of the time, that is until today. First off I am fine nothing happened to me. But on my way home from work I came across a drunk/high man who had just wrecked his scooter/moped thing. He was clearly on something and was holding his stomach and spiting blood everywhere. He refused my help so I called 911. He was definitely not healthy whether from the injury or the substance. that was 3:45 PM. I then took my son to hockey practice and on the way home at about 8:30 PM I was nearly run of the road by a high speed car that nearly hit me from behind before blowing by me and almost rear ending a truck and trailer. He then swerved to avoid the trailer and went flying across the left hand lane of the freeway through the median into on coming traffic missing everyone then coming back across the median and almost taking out the truck and trailer again before going into the right hand shoulder missing two sign posts splitting them like a field goal and laying down 8 fence posts before finally coming to a stop. I called 911 and by the time I got to him some others had taken his keys. He was completely unaware of what had happened. He was out of it. Well I had to sit on the freeway for a hour as the cop investigated and took our statements. The cop told me this wasn’t the guys first time. I am amazed that he did not kill me and my son, the guy in front of us or the people in the on coming lanes, or himself. How the car stayed upright I do not know. How it missed all the major heavy sign posts I do not know. (well I do but we don’t talk about such things here).

So from this point forward I wear my seat belt 100% of the time. Their are literally crazy drunks around every corner. Everyone got lucky today. No one was killed. It could have been much worse. Please don’t drink and drive and wear your seat belt just in case you meet someone that does.

#2

How is it that it took this series of events for you to wear your seat belt 100% of the time? It is the law! Frown

#3

Susan used to complain, “You put your seat belt on to move the car in the driveway.”

Well, yea. I feel like I’m going to fall out or something without it.

#4

Joe Zullo said:

How is it that it took this series of events for you to wear your seat belt 100% of the time? It is the law! Frown

It’s the law to pay your taxes. How many people try avoiding doing so Money mouth

#5

Joe Zullo said:

How is it that it took this series of events for you to wear your seat belt 100% of the time? It is the law! Frown

Joe,

I have no excuse and don’t attempt to make any. Lazy, there is no other. Like I said I had gone from never ever wearing it to most all of the time. But the quick trip to the store or … I just wouldn’t do it. Washington’s law is very much an incentive to wear it, Idaho not so much. I have never gotten a seat belt ticket in Idaho nor even been warned for not wearing it. In my wilder days I had all sort of reasons not too. I was bullet proof after all. Then I got older and I can honestly say that because of WA law I started wearing it all of the time in that state. But in Idaho it remained an intermittent thing. The hypocritical part is I always make my kids wear them but i wouldn’t. Now don’t get me wrong since I have had kids I would say i wear mine 90% of the time. It is those quick neighborhood trips. Not anymore though. Two drunks in less than 5 hours wrecked made me realize that immanent danger is lurking even on those city streets.

Glad it only to this to convince me and not have to wish I had worn it.

#6

Before I started my pilot training, I never wore my seat belt. But with Federal regs requiring the wearing of seat and shoulder belts while acting as PIC the habit just carried over to my cars and trucks. Now I feel naked without them.

#7

Having been in two nasty accidents in sports car s, and a couple of bad shunts in my race car, there’s NO WAY I’d get into a vehicle without belting in.

#8

I’ve got a 4x4 pu truck, I always remove my belt when I’m on the dirt. Part of it is Johnny law doesn’t patrol them and there are times when I need to lean out or twist around and a fool belt is a bother and it rubs on bumpy roads. But when I’m around others the belt goes back on, even on the dirt.

Ya just never know what they will do.

John

#9

Long before seat belts became obligatory/mandatory — there actually were still cars on the road that lacked them — I came upon a head on crash on a Swiss mountain road that was very deadly. Have been wearing seat belts ever since.
As a matter of fact when we go on bus trips I automatically try to buckle up … but then again I also try to look in the rear view mirror when we pass something interesting and I want to have a second look. WinkWink

#10

Here in the UK they have found that 70% of cars involved in accidents have incorrect tyre pressures.
The police now check all tyres if you have an accident.

No seat belt? Smelling of alcohol? Using a mobile phone when driving? Texting? Tailgating the car in front…
They cost you big money in court AND so many penalty points on your licence which can result in being banned from driving for a period if you reach a certain number of points.
Roadside police car cameras can also catch you by numberplate reading and immediately check if your car is insured and has a valid safety certificate from a certified testing agency ( if the car is more than three years old).

Also speeders get caught with photographic evidence from gantry cameras or vehicles looking down on roads from overhead bridges…

#11

Working as a firefighter for twenty years I have to tell you guys, wear your seat belts. They really do work. I have cleaned more dead people than I want to remember out of vehicles who would have lived with zero injury if they would have worn it.

For those of you who think you don’t need it;

At the beginning of winter we had a very minor traffic accident where the driver spun his car around and went backwards into a tree. Minor damage to the car. But, the force of the impact threw the driver, a father who was unbelted, into the back seat where he hit his 4 year old son in a car seat and killed him.

Another accident had the car slide hit an object which threw the unbelted driver out the window where they were struck and killed by another vehicle.

I could go on and on with these stories. Seat belts aren’t just there to protect you. They are there to protect the people around you as well.

Terry

#12

Devon,

We have a Wheat farm , South of you, in Genesse Idaho. I would never think of driving without a seat belt in Idaho. Most of our travel is on two lane roads with only a painted line between lanes. Some even on squirrelly gravel roads with blind turns and farm equipment. Here in California a great deal of our travel is on barrier protected freeways. It’s a crap shoot driving with all the crazy drivers out there, but a seat belt might be your ace in the hole.

#13

Ross Mansell said:

Here in the UK they have found that 70% of cars involved in accidents have incorrect tyre pressures.
The police now check all tyres if you have an accident.

No seat belt? Smelling of alcohol? Using a mobile phone when driving? Texting? Tailgating the car in front…
They cost you big money in court AND so many penalty points on your licence which can result in being banned from driving for a period if you reach a certain number of points.
Roadside police car cameras can also catch you by numberplate reading and immediately check if your car is insured and has a valid safety certificate from a certified testing agency ( if the car is more than three years old).

Also speeders get caught with photographic evidence from gantry cameras or vehicles looking down on roads from overhead bridges…

From what I read and heard you also have one of the highest densities of video surveillance on the planet.

The RCMP around here steps up enforcement once in a while, no seatbelt and on the phone in the same go gets pretty expensive. But as far as I’m concerned still not expensive enough, they should increase the fine levels with each subsequent infraction.

And then there are the speeders, excessive speed (40kmh over the limit) means instant impoundment of the vehicle. http://www.icbc.com/driver-licensing/tickets/Pages/Vehicle-impoundment.aspx

#14

While in Russia every new car seems to come with a bottle of Vodka in the glovebox instead of a manual, Russia isn’t the only place with idiot drivers. Sadly they are everywhere, I see stupid every day, even been the victim of it. I was heading into work when a driver on the hwy ‘exit only’ lane I was in suddenly realized his lane was exiting and slammed on his brakes, triggering a chain reaction panic braking in the four cars behind him, unfortunately I was a split second off braking and worse my tires skidded, and I bumped the car in front of me, nothing terrible, air bags didnt deploy. I got a small ding in my front bumper and the car in front got a new plastic rear bumper cover on my dime. But it was technically my fault irregardless of the brainless dipstick that slammed on their brakes. Yes I was probably too close but it was rush hour so mea culpa, me and everyone else. So because one moron had no clue where they were going I get a insurance bump.

I always wear a belt, here in California its the law, but the CHP doesn’t enforce it much, but they will pull you over for it before they’ll pull a driver over for texting or jawflapping on a cellphone, which is also illegal while driving, so go figure.

#15

My cadets in the CAP commented that I always put my seatbelt on before I ever put the car in gear. Its such a habit for me I do not even think about it. The 3 point harness in the car is good, but somedays I with it restrained me a bit better. I bought an SUV (Jeep) so that I might have a chance of surviving the next impact.

I have been a field service technician for over 21 years, and before that I drove a tractor trailer, and I have seen more then my share of idiot drivers. The shame of the whole thing is the locals know what roads and intersections are dangerous, but the police are never there when a bonehead play is made. I wish the police would frequent those intersections, they could rake in a lot of money in fines, and maybe make life a but less dangerous for those of us who have to drive there.

As for drunk drivers, or stoned drivers, when I suspect one is near me, I get off the road. I would rather be late to where I am going, then be late (dead).

#16

David

Out here it isn’t impaired as much as texters not paying attention!

#17

What seems rather bone headed (To me) is the couple out riding bicycles with their children. The children all with helmets on, as per the law, but the parents without them…what message does this give the children ?..that the grey matter of children is more important than that of adults…those adults are acting as VERY poor examples, for their children. That, of course, is an opinion that I’m told is mine, and should not be forced on others.

Of course, as I grow older; I look back and grieve the memories of good old “Common Sense”. He/she died years ago, and no-one has yet built a monument in his/her memory.

I know several people that refuse to wear seat belts…claiming that the “Government” has no right to tell them to protect themselves…I leave that thought to others for judgement…after being told in no uncertain terms , to mind my own business.

#18

Well as a kid we never wore helmets and we survied but now days folks do not have any sense so now you try to get them to where helmets. Probably like some states where you have a choice as to wearing a helmet while riding a motor cycle. Later RJD

#19

Please gentlemen,

It has not turned political yet but is starting to take on that tone and that is not what it is here for. Bob has asked us to kepp politics and religion out of here. As the one who posted the initial post it was not to start a debate over whether or not Gov’t can or should dictate sealtbelt (or helmet) use.

I posted it to plead with others to wear there belts so I can continue to share with you. If we start a political debate I will ask Bob to remove the thread.

#20

Rather longer ago than I care to remember, we were required to wear full school uniform while out on jaunts. Uniform included either a mortarboard or a straw boater (in summer). Ever tried keeping one of those on your head while cycling? I lost at least one mortarboard that sailed under the wheels of a following car. After a while, many of us just ignored the headgear requirement, especially for longer rides; no one in authority ever said anything (this being while Common Sense was still alive, Fred). This was all in the days before helmets, which in my adult cycling life I always wore, and will again if ever I get back on a bike…
As for seatbelts, I’ve worn them since my father first bought a car that had them (mid-'60s or so), and now I’m uncomfortable without them.