Do you always wear a seat belt?

[roadfix]

The only time I'm not buckled in is when I'm backing out of my driveway.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Not available here that I am aware of. On the passenger side, the seat belt is secured at the top on the post dividing the front from the back...

It's there, trust me. I know the seat belt strap has been adjustable since Himself's 1997 Taurus and my 1998 Grand Caravan. Maybe even on earlier cars. You still might need an adapter even with the top edge of the chest strap at it's lowest point, but moving it lower should help.

 

[Addie]

"Don't pee on my leg and tell me It's raining!" - Judith Sheindlin

Kids have grown up with seat belts and child safety seats since birth. I think the average kindergarten kid would think it strange to get into a vehicle without one. A few simple instructions at the beginning of the school year and a few words about the bigger kids looking out for the smaller ones is about all it should take. I guess we need to agree to disagree on this one!

I agree with you. But these are the arguments parents get when there is a yelling fuss about seat belts. I personally think it is a money issue. They don't want to have to pay to have every single school bus outfitted with seat belts.

When I had custody of my granddaughter she was four years old and was attending a private school for preschoolers. I would take her down to the van and I was the one who had to make sure she was buckled in properly. I noticed that some of the kids in the van were real tiny. They were sitting in a booster seat that was secured and then they were buckled in. I found out that the parents had to purchase the booster seat. One time there was a different driver and she got out and was going to buckle Annie in. I told her I could do it. She told me that it was part of her job to make sure the child was buckled in properly. It went with the job description. Either way I was just happy that she was buckled in properly.

 

[Kayelle]

In 1963 I was in a terrible car accident on the highway with my newly wed husband. No car seats in the car (or required) and it's a wonder either of us lived to tell the tale. I still live with some of the effects of my injuries. My memory of that night is as clear today as it was then.

 

[Chef Munky]

I am watching ER Trauma. A horrific car accident victim came in and he wasn't wearing a seat belt.

I used to swear I would never wear one. I hated being so confined. But since my health plan provides all transportation, the driver will not move the vehicle until every one is belted in. Now I always have one on. In fact I grab the two ends before I even sit down. I even wear one in my daughter's car.

The only type I have trouble with is the kind that not only go across your lap, but also across you chest. A driver had to stop short and slammed on the brakes. I fell forward and ended up with a massive bruise halfway around my neck. I am lucky I wasn't decapitated. I am child size in height. So now I put that part behind me. But I still have the lap strap on. In this state, children of my height, (4'6") if they are seated in the front seat, are required by law to have a booster seat. Sorry I will walk before I go that route.

So do you always wear a seat belt? Keep in mind that most accidents happen within 25 miles of home.

Addie stop watching those type of shows.

I've the same problem wearing a seat belt as you do. The problem was solved by two things. Sit on a fat pillow.It will raise you up a bit. I've put a slip cover over it.

In the baby section they do have cushioned Velcro wraps that you can slip around the seat belt and move it up or down.I've bought them for our sons when they were born. So the car seat straps wouldn't leave a mark on them if they fell asleep.

 

[Addie]

Addie stop watching those type of shows.

I've the same problem wearing a seat belt as you do. The problem was solved by two things. Sit on a fat pillow.It will raise you up a bit. I've put a slip cover over it.

In the baby section they do have cushioned Velcro wraps that you can slip around the seat belt and move it up or down.I've bought them for our sons when they were born. So the car seat straps wouldn't leave a mark on them if they fell asleep.

I am afraid that the pillow would not work for me. Remember, I am not riding in my own vehicle. I don't drive. I know for a certainty that I would not be allowed to attach any gadget to the straps on the van. And to have to walk around all day at the center carrying a pillow around for four or five hours, is not really an option. Is there a place where I can leave it? Not really. I often leave to go get coffee or sit outside. Toting a big pillow into the coffee shop, well, that doesn't sound like a great idea. With my purse with me, that leaves me with no hands to carry a hot cup of coffee.

My daughter's car is another story. Do I take it off each time I come back home? She drives a Caddy and she is a nut about her car. Can't blame her. She paid cash for it and it still looks like new. So I just do what I have to in order to have at least some restraint when riding in a vehicle.

 

[SherryCarl]

We always wear our seatbelt. It is the first thing we do when we get in the car. It is just habit now.

 

[RPCookin]

I am watching ER Trauma. A horrific car accident victim came in and he wasn't wearing a seat belt.

I used to swear I would never wear one. I hated being so confined. But since my health plan provides all transportation, the driver will not move the vehicle until every one is belted in. Now I always have one on. In fact I grab the two ends before I even sit down. I even wear one in my daughter's car.

The only type I have trouble with is the kind that not only go across your lap, but also across you chest. A driver had to stop short and slammed on the brakes. I fell forward and ended up with a massive bruise halfway around my neck. I am lucky I wasn't decapitated. I am child size in height. So now I put that part behind me. But I still have the lap strap on. In this state, children of my height, (4'6") if they are seated in the front seat, are required by law to have a booster seat. Sorry I will walk before I go that route.

So do you always wear a seat belt? Keep in mind that most accidents happen within 25 miles of home.

Yes... yes.... and yes again!!!. I wrecked my '63 Chevy back in 1969 at more than 100 mph (I was stupidly road racing a Mustang), and my girlfriend and I walked away without a scratch, only because we were wearing seat belts (just the lap belt, no shoulder harness then). That was before they were mandatory equipment, but thank God my car had them. Since then, I don't back out of the garage without my belt fastened.

 

[RPCookin]

Young children may have a hard time in the event of a crash, undoing the seat belts. They tend to panic more than an adult. Also, they may have difficulty putting it on. Then the driver would have to leave her/his seat and do it for possibly every small child. The driver would have to pull over to the side of the road, shut the motor off and stop the vehicle if a student took theirs off. The end result would be the children would be late for school every day. And then in the event of a crash, if the bus caught fire, it would be up to the driver to make sure every child undid their belt and got off the bus safely. Specially first graders. There is a whole host of plausible reasons why the school buses don't have them.

Having said all this, I am with you on this one. But I do understand the reasons.

Fire is rare in a typical crash. Impact trauma is the usual cause of injuries and death. Seat belts minimize the danger. Therefore they should be mandatory on school buses, or in fact on other forms of public transportation.

 

[GotGarlic]

I am afraid that the pillow would not work for me. Remember, I am not riding in my own vehicle. I don't drive. I know for a certainty that I would not be allowed to attach any gadget to the straps on the van. And to have to walk around all day at the center carrying a pillow around for four or five hours, is not really an option. Is there a place where I can leave it? Not really. I often leave to go get coffee or sit outside. Toting a big pillow into the coffee shop, well, that doesn't sound like a great idea. With my purse with me, that leaves me with no hands to carry a hot cup of coffee.

Have you heard about backpacks? They're these amazing inventions that allow you to carry a bunch of stuff around with you all the time. So cool

 

[CrazyCatLady]

Today, you can get seatbelts for your pets. I hate seeing dogs with their head out the window. All I can see is a car getting too close and clipping the dog upside his head. Spike used to allow Teddy to do that. At least I got him to stop that practice. Now he lets him sit on the arm right next to him. Still not a good practice. But it is better than letting his head hang out.

Right, Addie. I crack the window so she can sniff the wind but stick her nose out.

I also worry about bugs flying into her eyes. So, she gets to sniff.

Fire is rare in a typical crash. Impact trauma is the usual cause of injuries and death. Seat belts minimize the danger. Therefore they should be mandatory on school buses, or in fact on other forms of public transportation.

That's true. Maybe a training session for little kids on unbuckling and evacuating the bus in the event of a crash would be good as well.

Are there seat belts on subways and trains?

 

[Addie]

Right, Addie. I crack the window so she can sniff the wind but stick her nose out.

I also worry about bugs flying into her eyes. So, she gets to sniff.



That's true. Maybe a training session for little kids on unbuckling and evacuating the bus in the event of a crash would be good as well.

Are there seat belts on subways and trains?

No. Although if I use The Ride my scooter is secured and I have on a seat belt. The Ride is a service provided by public transportation for the handicap.