Seat belt usage

[Lindsey 0]

I love taking care of people in the ER who had their seatbelts on when they crashed. It's, in general, much more gratifying.

--
A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

[Airman1270 0]

Perhaps the poll should have included "mostly" as an option.

I've been wearing them for nearly 40 years. I do it because it's a good idea. At the same time, I am vehemently opposed to seat belt laws. Criminalizing people for failing to follow good advice runs contrary to the principles upon which this nation was founded.

Sometimes there are times when I don't wear one. These include short trips on residential streets, making deliveries, etc.

When the kids were younger, I told them they didn't have to wear seat belts to & from the babysitter's house, which was three tenths of a mile down the road. There was no main road to navigate, and no threat of a high-speed collision. They often chose to wear them anyway.

Outside the subdivision, they are always worn.

Meanwhile, repeal these stupid laws. Such laws lead to the kind of mind-set that believes mandatory AAD use is a good policy.

If you support mandatory AAD use, but do not support a policy banning canopies that are smaller than 200 sq. ft., you are a hypocrite.

(I suppose any ensuing arguments should be directed to Speakers' Corner?)

Cheers,
Jon S.

[PLFXpert 0]

Progress Report:

I have been wearing my seat belt ever since the day I vowed to start.

It's not so bad. And the best part is that really annoying blinking red seat belt light on my gage-board goes away when I have my seat belt on. Funny....

But, I'm b/c I got a speeding ticket yesterday. I used to get pulled over for speeding all the time, but I haven't in 6 years--mostly thanks to cruise control and Billy driving me.

So here I am finally wearing my seat belt, feeling like a good girl, and a jerk highway patrolman snags me. It was the strangest thing--he was out of his car before my car even came to a complete stop on the side of the road. He had this angry look on his face and just said, "I got you in the left hand passing lane at 86 in a 70 mph zone. License please. Wait here while I write you a ticket."

He came back with the ticket and didn't go over anything, just asked me to sign it. I asked him how I pay it, etc. he just circled a # at the bottom and said "Call them if you have questions."

Then, he hurried back to his car and proceeded to point his radar gun again at oncoming traffic.

Was there a contest or something--whichever cop writes the most tickets gets a bonus? He didn't ask me anything, didn't want to even bother to explain anything. Whatever happened to a warning??? I rarely ever speed anymore and for goodness sakes--for the first time EVER on the highway I even had my damn seat belt on

Back when I used to be pulled over all the time, I always got warnings. The first ticket I ever had was b/c the cop said he was going to just give me a warning but saw I already had two warnings in the previous 8 months so he wrote me a moving violation ticket.

I felt like for whatever reason, this cop just hated my car and hated me from the start. He couldn't see in his little system that I haven't been pulled over or given a warning in forever?

It was horrible. And I had to pee REALLY bad and finally got to the rest area and the flippin' ladies rooms were all closed! All of them! The rest area person had the nerve to point me over toward some port-o-lets.

Instead, I waited for the equally disgusting (as it turned out) "Family restroom".

What a sucky afternoon! (Pardon my french).

But you'll be happy to know, at least I was wearing my seat belt.

P.S. The ticket was $200! I already sent a check in the mail. I think the cop was just jealous that my aviator sunglasses were far cooler than his. And he only caused me to drive while using my cell phone--normally I don't---but I was forced to call the # on the citation and then my insurance company afterward.

Paint me in a corner, but my color comes back.

[ryanocerous 0]

Always! it keeps me from being a big splatter mark on the road and we wouldn't want that, would we! YAY! erm. it just feels weird if i don't have one on.

I'm in Afghanistan (in the fabulous Army) and i even wear one here unless i'm going through a built-up area.

[bch7773 0]

Quote

He came back with the ticket and didn't go over anything, just asked me to sign it. He didn't ask me anything, didn't want to even bother to explain anything. Whatever happened to a warning???

Back when I used to be pulled over all the time, I always got warnings.

welcome to a male's world.
I've been pulled over 3 times and never been given a warning. Consider yourself lucky that you are a female and got out of a ticket that many times

MB 3528, RB 1182

[NWFlyer 2]

End of the month. Quotas. Nuff said.

But good for you for wearing your belt. Look at it this way, at least you didn't get one of those on top of it.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[PLFXpert 0]

Seriously.

I know I sound like a complete spoiled brat right now, but I've never experienced anything like that before---I felt like I had a taste of what discrimination feels like.

It was just really weird.

Paint me in a corner, but my color comes back.

[PLFXpert 0]

Oh yea---and I couldn't even get my rewards points for paying the ticket online with my AMEX

B/c the ticket was so newly issued and the lady said it sometimes takes 7 days to get it in the system--especially at the end of the month. So, I just dropped a check in the mail with the citation info.

When bad things happen I don't like waiting, I like to just resolve it immediately then never think about it again. It keeps me sane.

Paint me in a corner, but my color comes back.

[wildfan75 1]

Isn't driving/riding in a car without a seatbelt kind of like skydiving without a reserve? Most of the time you won't need it but that one time it could save your life.

I'm always buckled up. Habit. I'll even unknowingly put it on just to drive the car into the garage from the drive way.

[Shotgun 1]

Quote

He didn't ask me anything, didn't want to even bother to explain anything. Whatever happened to a warning???

Ok, I don't mean to be an asshole, but... There is a reason why we have speed limits. You are an adult and I imagine that you knew what the speed limit was. You chose to drive over the speed limit and you were punished for it. I see no reason why you should have been given a warning instead of a ticket. If you don't want speeding tickets, don't speed. The cop was simply doing his job.

(FWIW, I had my fair share of speeding tickets when I was younger, but I don't speed anymore.)

Oh, and I have lots of pretty scars from a wreck I had as a teenager, when I wasn't wearing a seatbelt. I had a similar wreck a few years ago and wasn't injured at all because I was wearing my seatbelt. I've been shown the difference the hard way, and I would not drive without one...

[Broke 0]

Quote

I hear paramedics like to fondle ladies as they peel them off the sidewalk.

Chris

Inspect, Palpate, Ascultate, Secure, Oxygen. We wouldn't want to miss a flail chest on someone who was ejected from a vehicle.

Yes I always wear my seatbelt.

Divot your source for all things Hillbilly.
Anvil Brother 84
SCR 14192

[PLFXpert 0]

Of course I'm an adult and was speeding. The point of a warning is everyone has off days. If you can view in a system someone has not been pulled over in 6 years, then I think a warning is reasonnable. But, I'm not saying I didn't deserve the ticket--but I can still be about the way the cop was. I normally do not speed anymore. I haven't in a very long time. I wasn't doing so this time intentionally.

Nobody abides by all the rules all the time. I would almost bet you'll have another ticket for something in your lifetime even though you "never speed" anymore and probably always come to a complete stop at every stop sign. It will happen--one day when you're having an off day or something else is on your mind.

Something major was on my mind--there's no excuse, but it was an off-day for sure for me and I wasn't on the road by choice. I don't normally drive when I'm moody/worried.

The cop, had he asked, might have had mercy on me, or he might have thought I was full of shit, or he might not have cared either way---obviously the latter is how he felt since he didn't ask. It was just really weird. It's was like he couldn't wait to ticket me and had some sort of severe dislike for me. I've never in my life had a cop emerge from his vehicle so quickly and especially not when my vehicle hasn't even come to a complete stop on the side of the road.

I stand by my complaint that a warning would have been more appropriate. Just the mere fact of seeing the lights and hearing the siren is enough to scare some sense into me for a while. I don't care about the $200---cops are always begging for donations anyways, so they got mine for a while.

Paint me in a corner, but my color comes back.

[bch7773 0]

Quote

I stand by my complaint that a warning would have been more appropriate.

you and the rest of humanity when they get pulled over

MB 3528, RB 1182

[Shotgun 1]

The last time I got a ticket, the cop was a total jerk. Then when I went to pay the fine, the people I had to deal with were total jerks too. So I decided that I didn't want to have to deal with that crap ever again and I changed my driving habits.

But now I've turned into an old fart and I try to follow all the traffic laws because I think it's the right thing to do.

Anyhow, of course I'm not perfect, and I'll probably get a ticket again one of these days... I just don't understand the attitude of expecting a warning if you get pulled over for speeding. Maybe that's because where I used to live (Austin, TX), I got a ticket every time I was pulled over, so I would just assume I was getting a ticket if I got pulled over again.

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience with the cop; I know that always sucks... Now start behaving yourself and maybe it won't happen again. (Hmm, if you knew me then you would know just how ridiculous it sounds for ME to be telling someone else to behave. )

[PLFXpert 0]

Thanks for the tips, two shoes.

Paint me in a corner, but my color comes back.

[grue 1]

I think the furthest I've gone without one is 200 yards or so.... in the front seat. In the back seat, I dunno why, but I rarely put them on. But since I barely ever trust other people to drive me, that means about 0.00001% of the time I'm not wearing a belt

That having been said, as a libertarian I am totally against seat belt laws, but I do not feel that insurance companies should have to pay your medical bills if you don't wear one.

cavete terrae.

[JohnMitchell 14]

Interesting poll. I always figured skydivers would be high in seat blelt usage, which they are. We take enough risks and tend to be proactive about managing those risks.

Plus we like the feel of nylon webbing strapped hard across our bodies.

[Andy9o8 0]

Even asuming the validity of a libertarian attitude on the subject, here's a good reason for mandatory seat belt (AND motorcycle helmet) laws: they really do make a difference in EVERYONE'S auto liability insurance rates in that state. Why? Not because of 1-vehicle crashes, but because of multiple-vehicle crashes. Fewer people wearing seat belts and/or helmets means more serious injuries and deaths caused by the "driver-at-fault". Which means a risk of a higher payout to the victim having to be made by the driver-at-fault's insurance company. And, of course, everyone is a potential driver-at-fault, so everyone's insurance rates will adjust upward in states where the economic risk of a higher payout is greater.

You may think you only affect yourself when you drive w/o a seatbelt or ride a motorcycle w/o a helmet, but you don't - it really does affect everyone who pays for auto insurance.

[PLFXpert 0]

I support/go against rules & laws as they suit me.

B/c of what you said is why I have no issues with the seat-belt law.

Paint me in a corner, but my color comes back.