Do wear your seatbelt in your vehicle?

[George2615]

It's the law in NY. I don't want to pay the fine for getting caught without it. Personally I'd rather not wear it. But politicians and do gooders want these laws passed that we don't have a say in. Have to wear seat belt, have to have headlights on if your wipers are on, can only use hands free cell phones. Next they'll be saying you cant eat, smoke, drink anything or talk while driving.

 

[George2615]

It's the law in NY. I don't want to pay the fine for getting caught without it. Personally I'd rather not wear it. But politicians and do gooders want these laws passed that we don't have a say in. Have to wear seat belt, have to have headlights on if your wipers are on, can only use hands free cell phones. Next they'll be saying you cant eat, smoke, drink anything or talk while driving.

 

[Tom_H]

It never ceases to amaze me when a NASCAR vehicle plows through several others at 200 mph, flips a dozen times, lands like a brick dropped from a B52, and the driver coolly climbs out, removes his helmet, then walks away.

Then again, I remember about five years ago in the Daytona 500, on the last lap, car #3 seemed to barely tap the wall. The seat belt anchor failed, and the great Dale Earnhardt was gone.

 

[Tom_H]

It never ceases to amaze me when a NASCAR vehicle plows through several others at 200 mph, flips a dozen times, lands like a brick dropped from a B52, and the driver coolly climbs out, removes his helmet, then walks away.

Then again, I remember about five years ago in the Daytona 500, on the last lap, car #3 seemed to barely tap the wall. The seat belt anchor failed, and the great Dale Earnhardt was gone.

 

[midlf]

Don't forget that good ole Dale did not have the belts installed to Simpson's spec's and had been told of this, and the risk, on several occassions.

 

[midlf]

Don't forget that good ole Dale did not have the belts installed to Simpson's spec's and had been told of this, and the risk, on several occassions.

 

[Tom_H]

Though I did not know of this, I take your word that it is true. It still illustrates, however, that a relatively small impact (when contrasted with the tremendous forces involved in some 200 mph crashes) was enough to kill one of the world's best drivers, and that a properly working seatbelt would have saved him.

I know that a lot goes into engineering the frame, roll cage, etc. for a racing stock car. Still, that illustrates that when all systems work properly, NASCAR drivers coolly walk away from 200 mph crashes. That being the case, it really seems that standard street cars could be engineered to be more crash survivable at normal highway speeds. I know that it would cost more money, but it really seems that it should be possible.

I sometimes wonder what percent of auto fatalities would have survived if the victims had been wearing a helmet. I know it would look geeky, and I've never seen someone wearing a helmet in a car (other than racers), but still, I just wonder what the statistics would be. Bird, I'm sure that you saw a lot of fatalities close up. What would your rough guess be on the percent of fatalities in auto crashes that would have survived if they'd have had a helmet on while in the car?

 

[Tom_H]

Though I did not know of this, I take your word that it is true. It still illustrates, however, that a relatively small impact (when contrasted with the tremendous forces involved in some 200 mph crashes) was enough to kill one of the world's best drivers, and that a properly working seatbelt would have saved him.

I know that a lot goes into engineering the frame, roll cage, etc. for a racing stock car. Still, that illustrates that when all systems work properly, NASCAR drivers coolly walk away from 200 mph crashes. That being the case, it really seems that standard street cars could be engineered to be more crash survivable at normal highway speeds. I know that it would cost more money, but it really seems that it should be possible.

I sometimes wonder what percent of auto fatalities would have survived if the victims had been wearing a helmet. I know it would look geeky, and I've never seen someone wearing a helmet in a car (other than racers), but still, I just wonder what the statistics would be. Bird, I'm sure that you saw a lot of fatalities close up. What would your rough guess be on the percent of fatalities in auto crashes that would have survived if they'd have had a helmet on while in the car?

 

[MikePA]

Dale did not die because a seat belt anchor failed. He died because his head snapped forward so violently his neck was broken. That's why all drivers wear HANS devices now.

 

[MikePA]

Dale did not die because a seat belt anchor failed. He died because his head snapped forward so violently his neck was broken. That's why all drivers wear HANS devices now.