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Post by mcscrapper on Mar 12, 2018 17:35:20 GMT
What an awful thing to witness!! It will be hard to erase that memory I'm sure.
Seatbelts really do save lives. I've seen it first-hand. While we are talking about it....I would like to remind folks to keep your feet off of the dashboard. I've see horrible injuries mostly from young girls/ladies that were riding with her feet up on that dash.
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Post by originalvanillabean on Mar 12, 2018 17:44:41 GMT
I'm sorry you had to see that.
I get so aggravated when people unbuckle early and the alert starts dinging. You can wait 30 seconds until I park and turn the car off.
It's just a habit to wear mine, each and every time in a vehicle. I can't imagine it not being an instinct. These deaths are avoidable - that's reason enough for me.
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The Birdhouse Lady
Drama Llama
Moose. It's what's for dinner.
Posts: 7,161
Location: Alaska -The Last Frontier
Jun 30, 2014 17:15:19 GMT
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Post by The Birdhouse Lady on Mar 12, 2018 17:50:53 GMT
I am so sorry that you had to witness that. If it were me I know that I would be really shook up.
I always wear my seatbelt and if you are in my car I wont move it until everyone has their seatbelt fastened.
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Peamac
Pearl Clutcher
Refupea # 418
Posts: 4,218
Jun 26, 2014 0:09:18 GMT
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Post by Peamac on Mar 12, 2018 18:47:17 GMT
How awful! DH now wears his seatbelt regularly, after seeing videos (through work training) of accidents like that. (((Hugs))) to you and the injured girl!
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mlana
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,523
Jun 27, 2014 19:58:15 GMT
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Post by mlana on Mar 12, 2018 18:53:31 GMT
I'm so sorry you had to see that and even sorrier that the person made such a bad decision.
My DS was born just as car seats were becoming mandatory for infants. There were not really any car seats for kids over 30 lbs when he reached that weight. We buckled him in, but when he was 4-5, he developed enough hand strength to unbuckle the seat belt. Keeping him fastened in became a real problem that even pulling over and spanking his butt didn't solve.
I was reading Tom Clancy's Patriot Games about that time. In it, there is a scene where his wife was being chased by bad guys and hits a divider on the exit ramp. The young daughter also had a habit of unfastening her seatbelt and she was thrown against the dash and lost her spleen as a result. The guilt that the two parents shared for not having been firmer with the girl was devastating and made such an impression on me. DH and I decided to get fierce not only about DS not releasing the belt but also about Grands who didn't make him wear a seatbelt at all.
We had been working on it for about 2 weeks when we went to the library to return the book. (Ironic, yeah?!) On the way home I went to make a left turn and did not see that a car had not gone into the turn lane but had just switched lanes. The driver of the car caught sight of me as she cleared the cars in the turn lane and she went all the way to the right to avoid me. I tapped her tailed, but she put the front end of her car on a concrete power column. Just that tap was enough to send DS and I hard against our seat belts. Even though he was WAY too small for a seat belt, it held him.
Our car was drivable, the other car was totaled. The people in it were so nice. They were the ones who had been aggrieved, but I was the one on the side of the road puking. They saw what had happened and were thankful it was nothing worse; I kept seeing what COULD have happened, had I not chosen to take action to prevent it. I had nightmares for months. DH and I went out and found a carseat that would hold DS almost until her could drive himself.
BEST. $$. I. EVER. SPENT.
Needless to say, when our DD was born, not only did her dad and I become tyrannical about her being in a car seat, our son was the fiercest advocate ever of making sure his little sister was safe.
Marcy
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Post by AussieMeg on Mar 12, 2018 23:44:53 GMT
I'm stunned that in this day and age this even has to be a PSA. I don't know anyone IRL who doesn't wear a seatbelt, although I have seen people here on this board who have admitted that they don't. It's been compulsory to wear seatbelts here for nearly 50 years, I just can't imagine thinking that it's optional.
ETA: I'm sorry you had to witness that accident, it must have been traumatic. I hope the girl is ok.
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Post by jackietex on Mar 13, 2018 0:33:52 GMT
I'd like to add that it's very important to wear the seat belt correctly. Wear it at hip level, below your belly, otherwise a collision can cause your back to bend in a way it's not intended and cause fractures.
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milocat
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Location: 55 degrees north in Alberta, Canada
Mar 18, 2015 4:10:31 GMT
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Post by milocat on Mar 13, 2018 0:35:15 GMT
Yup. 4 years ago this spring a guy and girl in our area were in an accident. She had her seatbelt on and walked away with scratches. He was not wearing one and was thrown from the vechile. Was in a coma, paralyzed. Today he can sort or use his arms, say some words like a toddler, but his brain functions fully because when he uses a computer to talk for him or points to letters or phrases he can remembers things and has knowledge there. He has fought for his life and had so many scares in the last 4 years it's unbelievable.
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Post by wholarmor on Mar 13, 2018 1:08:49 GMT
I'd like to add that it's very important to wear the seat belt correctly. Wear it at hip level, below your belly, otherwise a collision can cause your back to bend in a way it's not intended and cause fractures. Also, hip bones prevent the seatbelt from slicing internal organs. Another reason why it's important to keep kids in boosters until they are truly ready to fit a seatbelt properly.
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Post by dewryce on Mar 13, 2018 4:03:53 GMT
Not only is it safer for you, but others in your car and on the road as well. You have a much better chance of keeping/getting control of the car if you are buckled in.
Ours doesn't move unless everyone is buckled. I can't even back out of the driveway without mine on, I feel so out of control!
OP I'm very sorry you had to witness that.
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Post by anniefb on Mar 13, 2018 5:53:00 GMT
What a horrible thing to witness. Seatbelts are compulsory here but there still are a few cases of terrible accidents when people don’t wear them.
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Deleted
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May 7, 2024 1:15:35 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2018 8:54:17 GMT
I'm so sorry you witnessed that, and, prayers to that person!! Sadly, I've witnessed quite a few horrible accidents here in FL. The one that haunts me the most (I have a few!) was seeing an open Jeep pull out of a gated development (rush hour) and onto a busy road. They FLEW around that corner so quickly that they hit into trees on the side of the road. One second the Jeep was pulling out (I was about 3 cars behind where they pulled onto) and 2 seconds later, they were all dead. Seeing the young girl (probably about 20?) in her youthful clothes, blonde hair, all covered in blood, haunted me. I had to pass that spot 4 days a week, and I thought of her, and how quickly life can change. There were crosses placed with their names and gifts, etc., but SEEING it happen like that was a game-changer.
I've also seen a few accidents where the bodies were on the road (dead) and weren't covered yet. Recently cars and people would surround the body so that onlookers and maybe even children wouldn't be able to see something so tragic. I often wonder if we should travel with spare sheets in the trunk. What a sad and horrible thing to even think about........
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michellegb
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,915
Location: New England and loving it!
Jun 26, 2014 0:04:59 GMT
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Post by michellegb on Mar 13, 2018 10:04:09 GMT
I can't even imagine @bergdorfblonde. That is incredible sad and was so preventable.
Thank you all for the good wishes and sharing your stories. If one person is reached and is better about buckling up that would make this thread worthwhile.
Yesterday was hard. I couldn't stop thinking about her laying there and hoping that she was going to be OK. I wear my seatbelt while driving, but I admit that sometimes I'm the person who is taking my seatbelt off two houses before mine (I have no idea why I do it, but I have) and won't put it on in a parking lot of a mall when I'm switching positions. New habits started yesterday.
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hannahruth
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Aug 29, 2014 18:57:20 GMT
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Post by hannahruth on Mar 13, 2018 10:25:28 GMT
The fine in South Asutralia for driving without a seatbelt is $355AU plus $60AU Victims of Crime levy so that alone is why I always buckle up.
We have had mandatory seat belt laws for so many years now I can't imagine not wearing them.
I get very frustrated when hearing about people not buckled up and while I wish them no ill - people really need to take some personal responsibility.
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anniebygaslight
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Jun 28, 2014 14:08:19 GMT
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Post by anniebygaslight on Mar 13, 2018 12:38:27 GMT
It is against the law in the UK not to use a seatbelt. There will always be the occasional idiot who chooses not to.
Sorry you had to witness this accident.
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casii
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Jun 29, 2014 14:40:44 GMT
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Post by casii on Mar 13, 2018 12:58:25 GMT
I haven't witnessed an accident like that and hope I never do. But we have a line of memorial trees along the drive to the high school that have names of several students who died when they weren't wearing seatbelts in auto accidents. It seemed for a while that we wouldn't get to graduation without losing a senior between March and June. The stories are awful.
My mom was in an accident when she was newly married and the officer told her it was a good thing she didn't have a seat belt on because she might've died. Since that 1968 accident, she's touted that as proof that seat belts are dangerous. When she's in my car, I won't even start it until she's buckled and I hear about it the entire time. I've been tempted to tell her she can take her seatbelt off as long as she's content to ride in the trunk of the car.
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michellegb
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Location: New England and loving it!
Jun 26, 2014 0:04:59 GMT
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Post by michellegb on Mar 13, 2018 13:06:39 GMT
My mom was in an accident when she was newly married and the officer told her it was a good thing she didn't have a seat belt on because she might've died. Since that 1968 accident, she's touted that as proof that seat belts are dangerous. When she's in my car, I won't even start it until she's buckled and I hear about it the entire time. I've been tempted to tell her she can take her seatbelt off as long as she's content to ride in the trunk of the car. I know there are circumstances where wearing one could make injuries worse, but I suspect that there are so many more times that you are safer with one than without. After seeing that accident yesterday - I never want to be in a position to be thrown from my car. SaveSave
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Deleted
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May 7, 2024 1:15:35 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2018 18:51:13 GMT
I can't even imagine @bergdorfblonde . That is incredible sad and was so preventable. Thank you all for the good wishes and sharing your stories. If one person is reached and is better about buckling up that would make this thread worthwhile. Yesterday was hard. I couldn't stop thinking about her laying there and hoping that she was going to be OK. I wear my seatbelt while driving, but I admit that sometimes I'm the person who is taking my seatbelt off two houses before mine (I have no idea why I do it, but I have) and won't put it on in a parking lot of a mall when I'm switching positions. New habits started yesterday. Again, I'm so sorry that you experienced this. Honestly, that vision still has not left my memory. Besides wearing seatbelts, driving carefully and cautiously is SO very important. Not being distracted while driving is also so very important. We ALL get distracted and fall prey to believing that we could handle multitasking while driving--we can't, and we shouldn't. THAT was my biggest take from that tragedy. You're NOT invincible and anything can happen in an instant. This is just so, so sad. Thank you for putting this out there. Maybe you prevented a few accidents (or worse).
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