I never wore a seatelt until I became a firefighter. Once i witnessed my first serious accident up close and personal, I didnt ride in a vehicle without a belt on.
After cutting people out of cars for 16 yrs, nobody can tell me that seatbelts dont save lives.
As for personal experience, if i didnt have a seatbelt on when I T-boned a car that turned out in front of me, my own dept would have been pulling my BODY out of my Broncos windshield.
Blue Dolphin, maybe you dont know anyone who died in a "truck" accident, but if you want, I can probably supply you with a list of names a mile long of people who have.

 

I have seen all types of dead and horribly wounded people in the ER that would have been fine if they had buckled up. A telltale sign of no seatbelts is when their skull is crushed in along a perfect line above their eyebrows. We call it a "death cap" and it only happens when you do not buckle up and your head hits the top of the windshield frame. The saddest thing about that is sometimes they will have this type of injury at low speeds, like 35-45 mph. An accident where with seat belts you would have gone "Doggone it, just wrecked my pickup" and had the truck towed off, gone home and ate dinner with your wife and kids. But instead you are in the morgue for no good reason.

 

About a year ago, I hit a telephone pole head on at 40MPH. The truck (and the pole) was totaled. The belts held me in place and the air bag kept my face off the wheel. I didn't have a scratch and a cop drove me home. Many years ago, the steering failed on my Ford coupe and I hit a Culvert at about 60 MPH. I slammed into the wheel, breaking my nose, knocking out three teeth and my elbow was injured as I was thrown to the other side of the car. To me, buckling up is as much a part of driving as putting the key in the ignition.
Dono

 

Im just so used to wear it... when i don´t wear it i feel loose on my own seat, instead the seatbelt keep me in the right place.

 

I also recall a neighbor of mine, he also had a Bronco, and was hijacked with his truck by a couple of thieves, they where leading him to some abandoned spot (probably to kill him and steal the truck), but he had his seat-belt on, the thieves didn´t... as he was going down at high speed in the high-way, he sudendly turned torward some advertising signal´s pole and crashed his truck, killing his captors on impact and walking away with only minor injuries.

 

1) Have you ever seen a NASCAR driver get into his race car and NOT buckle up? Just once? What do they know that you don't?

2) I've posted on FTE before that I believe you shouldn't be required BY LAW to wear your seat belt; it is a personal choice, and we're all responsible for our actions. But it's been proven beyond all doubt that seat belts reduce injuries and save lives. If you're in an accident and you didn't have your seat belt on, the police should report this to your health insurance carrier and the hospital. At which point your HMO says, "you weren't wearing your seat belt? Fine- YOU pay for your medical bills." You don't get any more "personally responsible" than that.

 

^^^ Good post Jeff!

I was always taught at a young age to wear my seat belt. I ALWAYS wear it. I have even gotten into my old truck to fix something in the cab and went to get out realized I had put my seat belt on...OUT OF HABIT!

A good habit IMHO.

-Matt

 

Yea, when I was young seatbelt use was not required and there were not seatbelts in many of the cars that we drove. That did not mean people did not die in minor accidents. General Patton died in an accident as a passenger where the driver walked away.

After seeing things (working on cars and in bodyshops) and reading about accidents I started wearing them and making everyone else wear them before it became mandatory.

>But has anyone you have known personally died from not wearing a restraint

Yes, my father in law inside a Ford Taurus. He would have easily walked away from the accident after hitting a telephone pole (pass. compartment intact) with a seatbelt on. Instead he got the "skull cap" previously mentioned and died after being in a coma for about two years.

re:helmets
For those in MA that want to check this out. The guy that owns IRA Olds (Danvers/Wakefield?) had a son die in front of his house on a bike at very low speeds. They were having a party, he decided to get on his new bike and have a few laps around the deadend/cul-de-sac. From what I understand he hit the curb at very low speed without his helmet on and that was all she wrote. He died and now no son to inherit his (IRA's) business. All for the lack of a helmet.

Myself, I got hit on the pass. side by a drunk driver that ran a stop sign. If I did not have my seatbelt on I would have at least slid across the seat and been badly injured when I hit the door or was ejected through the glass.

As it was, except for bruises and abrasions from the belts, I was fine enough to get out of the car. I tried to pull the fat slob through his window so I could beat the snot out of him, but, he was stuck behind the wheel. So, I had to go get a cop. He even tried to start his car to run from the police officer until the officer pulled out his Dirty Harry and started to **** the trigger while aiming at his head. Drunk drivers