Do wear your seatbelt in your vehicle?

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( do police cars have any such mod's? )</font>

None that I've known of personally. Of course, you know I retired 17 years ago, so I don't know what might have been done in more recent times. In my experience, the things that were done to the interior of the cars increased the hazards instead of decreasing them; i.e., the installation of two-way radios, phones, computer terminals, shotgun racks, spot lights, etc.; all things that don't do a body any good if you slam into them.

I've even forgotten just when the seat belt laws went into effect. I, personally, installed seat belts in my first showroom new car; a 1962 Austin Healey Sprite, and have worn them ever since. But when I joined the police department, many of the officers never wore them; all the usual reasons; takes too long to get in and out, uncomfortable, wear on the front of the uniform, etc. The department "recommended" they be worn, but it was not mandatory. And in the early '60s (I started in March, 1964) the cars had lap belts with no retractors, and of course, no shoulder belt. So it wasn't unusual for the end of the belt to get knocked out of the car, the door shut on it, and belt hanging out got damaged and dirty. In fact, they told me the seat belt I had break was because it was frayed from having the door shut on it so many times in the past. It was a car that was about due for replacement; i.e., had been run a year and had over 60k miles on it.

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( do police cars have any such mod's? )</font>

None that I've known of personally. Of course, you know I retired 17 years ago, so I don't know what might have been done in more recent times. In my experience, the things that were done to the interior of the cars increased the hazards instead of decreasing them; i.e., the installation of two-way radios, phones, computer terminals, shotgun racks, spot lights, etc.; all things that don't do a body any good if you slam into them.

I've even forgotten just when the seat belt laws went into effect. I, personally, installed seat belts in my first showroom new car; a 1962 Austin Healey Sprite, and have worn them ever since. But when I joined the police department, many of the officers never wore them; all the usual reasons; takes too long to get in and out, uncomfortable, wear on the front of the uniform, etc. The department "recommended" they be worn, but it was not mandatory. And in the early '60s (I started in March, 1964) the cars had lap belts with no retractors, and of course, no shoulder belt. So it wasn't unusual for the end of the belt to get knocked out of the car, the door shut on it, and belt hanging out got damaged and dirty. In fact, they told me the seat belt I had break was because it was frayed from having the door shut on it so many times in the past. It was a car that was about due for replacement; i.e., had been run a year and had over 60k miles on it.

 

[coffeeman]

Seatbelts...?

I don't wear one on my tractor. So many things to do; look back, stand to peer through weeds if in strange ground and off and on tractor a lot.


Car and truck, I wear about 3/4 time. I have a great idea for car. Just think how safe they would be if they were made out of rubber. If 2 cars hit they bounce off each other.

Bong...bong....bong.........bong...............................


Cheers....Coffeeman

 

[Knute]

I remember a time when I was a kid and was going somewhere just down the street with my dad I asked if it was far enough to wear a seatbelt, his reply "if it's not far enough to wear a seatbelt - walk". So I always wore a seatbelt, then they passed the law requiring you to wear them...and I stopped wearing seatbelts. I was a courier at the time, drove hundreds of thousands of miles without one, got several tickets for not wearing it but still didn't wear one. Then I had kids and started wearing seatbelts again. It wasn't really a logical, concious decision it just seemed like the right thing for me to do.

So I've been on both sides, I think it's a good idea to wear them but I really don't think it should be a law, and who knows maybe I'll swing back around to not wearing them once the kids are grown. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

John

 

[Tom_H]

On one hand, I understand the feeling of disliking the government telling you everything you must do.

On the other hand, when people become vegetables because they didn't wear a seatbelt or a motorcycle helmet, the rest of us have to pay for their maintenance in a care facility through our taxes.

Given the choice, I'd rather everybody obey the seatbelt and helmet laws and keep my taxes lower. Though it isn't always this way, the whole idea behind laws is to protect the common good.

 

[3RRL]

I'd rather everybody obey the seatbelt and helmet laws and keep my taxes lower.
Obeying helmet and seatbelts laws does not necessarily mean keeping taxes down. I wear my helmet and seatbelt and MY taxes are'nt going down...
The effect is diddly squat in comparison to the taxation requirement to fund the drain imposed by welfare, illegal aliens and other issues some of our cukoo lawmakers prefer to back.

 

[Gatorboy]

I'd rather everybody obey the seatbelt and helmet laws and keep my taxes lower.

Don't you mean insurance premiums?

 

[TBone]

A QUESTION FOR BIRD:

I am a big fan of COPS. I notice that most of them don't wear their seatbelts, even in car chases. Is this typical of police officers today? My wife used to work at the local elementary school and a state trooper picked his child up every afternoon. She said he NEVER had on his seat belt and worse yet he NEVER buckled up his little girl. They only lived a couple of miles away but still ......

After my wife and son were saved in a head-on collision by their seatbelts I always wear mine.

TBone

 

[Bird]

TBone, I don't have an answer for your question; just haven't noticed lately whether officers are wearing their seat belts or not. I would think they'd have sense enough to wear them. And since it's the law now, I would expect police departments to have rules requiring them to obey that law, as they're required to obey other laws. I know many years ago, many officers did not wear them for the usual excuses; in and out of the car too frequently, might need to get out in a hurry and takes too much time to unbuckle, extra wear on the front of the uniform, shoulder belt catches on the badge or pens in pocket, uncomfortable on your neck, etc., etc. Like I said, lots of excuses, no valid reasons that I know of.