:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

http://www.motorists.com/issues/safe...belt_laws.html

As promised here are some seatbelt stats:

In the past 26 years, safety belts prevented 135,000 fatalities and 3.8 million injuries, saving $585 billion in medical and other costs. If all vehicle occupants had used safety belts during that period, nearly 315,000 deaths and 5.2 million injuries could have been prevented — and $913 billion in costs saved. [NHTSA, Economic Impact of Crashes, 2002]


Fatalities and accidents involving those not wearing seat belts costs the U.S. approximately $20 billion per year. Of that cost, 74% of the tab is paid for by the public.
[NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts Overview, 2001]

One out of four Americans still doesn't wear a seat belt.
[NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts Overview, 2001]

Safety belts saved 13,274 lives in 2001, and if all vehicle occupants over age 4 had been wearing safety belts, 7,334 more lives could have been saved, NHTSA estimates. [NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts Overview, 2001]

Each percentage-point increase in safety belt use represents 2.8 million more people buckling up, 250 more lives saved and 6,400 serious injuries prevented annually, NHTSA estimates. [NHTSA, FY2003 Performance Plan, 2002]

Seventy-three percent of the people who were in a fatal crash in 2001 and were restrained survived; of those who were not restrained, only 44 percent survived. [NHTSA, Annual Assessment of Motor Vehicle Crashes, 2001]

In fatal crashes, 75 percent of all passenger car occupants who were totally ejected were killed. Only 1 percent of those occupants had been using a safety belt. [NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts Overview, 2001]

Sorry so long.

Whenever the car is out, Sean goes to back door, waiting to get into the car. He then waits patiently until I take off his leash and hook him to his seatbelt. I never used a doggy seatbelt with my other guys and was often worried that something would happen if I had to stop quickly.

Good Job!!!!

:clapsmile :clapsmile :clapsmile :clapsmile

i am so glad to see im not the only one that is a "nazi" (as i have been called on several occasions when it comes to this) when it comes to the seatbelt :D

I was in a car accident a few years ago, nothing major, just rear-ended someone (I wasnt driving, I was passanger) at a speed less than 20miles an hour. I was just starting to put my seatbelt on and I felt the different of how my left side flew forward, but my rightside was held back from the belt being half-way on me. Ever since Ive always worn my seatbelt (unless was in a rush or too tired and just forgot about it) But now it kinda feels wierd if I dont have it on.

As for your friend, if she knew it was a law, she knew she was breaking it, she really can't complain.

oh no you are not alone let me tell you my Dad won't move until everyone has their seatbelts on. He is the person you will hear all the time saying how the government takes all our freedoms away blah blah blah, but when it comes to safety he doesn't play. I even buckle my seatbelt in the backseat. I guess after years of doing it, it has become a habit.

I agree 100%
 

Seatbelts all the way...no questions asked...just buckle up. My son was in a car wreck in 2000 - the day after his first day of school his senior year. He, his girlfriend and another girl were going to the mall to meet some other kids to eat Chinese Food. His girlfriend was tickling him (he remembered this 9 months later) and he lost control. He ran off the road and hit a culvert. The Blazer was airborne 132 feet and landed on 2 parked cars. He impacted the ground 3 times before coming to a stop. The girls got out of the car and walked away. My son had to be cut out of the car - it took about an hour to get him out. He had a severe concussion, broken ribs (from the seatbelt), a broken back and required 20+ stitches in his face. But, the lap portion of the seatbelt held him - the shoulder portion failed - but still, he did not go thru the windshield nor was he thrown from the car. I really feel that even tho he was seriously injured, he would have been killed without the seatbelt. He healed completely from all the injuries and is fine today...and he still wears a seatbelt! Around here they say "click it or ticket!" And they mean it!!!

I am so glad that your son recovered and is fine:D Sounds like you raised a smart guy;)

Thank you!
 

I was the worst & best time in my life I guess...bad that he was hurt so bad but good that he was alive. He is smart enough to wear a seatbelt for sure...:D But yeah...he is a good and smart boy...I am glad he is still around!

Im not even old enough to drive and i know the importance of a seatbelt! Hopefully you can relax later!;)

Im BIG on wearing seat belts too, so Im with ya on this. For some stupid reason, people seem to think if they are within 5 miles of thier home they dont need to buckle up or if they are in the backseat they dont need to buckle up. WRONG! Most wrecks happen within so many miles of the home(I dont remember the exact statistic) and If I am driving my husband's little ford focus and get in a wreck and the person behind me isnt buckled up, they are going to slam into me and probobly kill me. I just love how people think they are safe in the back seat without a seat belt on:thumbdown . I wont start my truck until everyone is buckled up. And my truck makes horrible beeping noises every 30 seconds if the driver and front passengers arent buckled. I like that feature ;)

I am really suprised at all the seat belt wearers! Good for you all!:thumbup: However, I do not believe that it should be legislated. It ticks me off that there is a law for that. It is just a good revenue maker.

This is what gets me. I was in my wreck about two-three minutes from my house. I was heading to Walmart to buy a keyboard cuz the one we had was busted. It was two roads over from my house. It was so close that my mom almost beat the fire department there and the fire department is about three-four minutes from my house and they were driving as fast as they could with lights and sirens and everything so they probably got there in a minute or two...that's how close to my house I was! People won't wear their seatbelts when they're just going up the road...but an accident could happen so quick! I even wear it in a parking lot. I don't care if I'm obsessive about it. As long as I'm alive in a car no matter if it's going up the road a few houses or on a roadtrip to california that damn seat belt is going across me!
-Melissa

Seatbelts prevent injury and death.
 

As horrific as my son's injuries were in his wreck, his girlfriend sitting two feet from him on the front passenger seat had a seatbelt burn across her chest (faded in 3 days) and one tiny chip of glass in her ear lobe! Her seatbelt saved her from serious injury...I truly beleive that. What would have happened to those three children impacting the ground three times with no seatbelt? They would have been tossed around like balls in a lottery machine...with no winning number. :mad: