Car drives - seatbelts

[ianrauk]

The past few days I have been looking to see if car drivers are wearing their seatbelts or not. And I am amazed at how many are not belted up. At one junction I counted 3 cars in a row where the driver had not buckled up (and 1 of those was on a mobile) and about a dozen or so on my 13 mile commute this morning.

Are these people so ignorant of the law or just completely stupid?

 

[marinyork]

The stats are supposed to be pretty bad on seat belt wearing . On the other hand I'm a bit sceptical the stats are quite as high as they are because of the old police trick of saying someone isn't wearing their seatbelt when they know full well they were.

I pointed out to the chief of security on campus at uni when he was tear arsing around campus at inappropriate speeds to put his seatbelt on. Red mist descended as these people hate cyclists. Shame he didn't have a superior.

 

[Twenty Inch]

Saw a merc at Bromley South get into terrible pickle today as he tried to a) manouevre across the junction, put his seat belt on at the same time and c) ignore the police van alongside him. He so badly failed at c) that he nearly hit the van.

 

[cannondale boy]

Are these people so ignorant of the law or just completely stupid?

Both! Just because drivers are in a box, and are concealed to a certain degree, drivers think they can get away with it. The problem being is that nothing happens, untill someone gets caught not wearing a seat belt or using a mobile...and even when they get prosecuted they will probably receive a petty fine.

 

[domtyler]

Silly law anyway, if people don't want to wear one then why should they?

 

[cannondale boy]

Silly law anyway, if people don't want to wear one then why should they?

silly? care to explain?

 

[Riding in Circles]

silly? care to explain?

Perhaps Dom sees the seatbelt law in a similar way as the possibility of compulsory cycle helmets.

 

[Wolf04]

Perhaps Dom sees the seatbelt law in a similar way as the possibility of compulsory cycle helmets.

Agree with this, they should be able to please themselves. Gets more problematic with rear seat passengers though as they tend to hit the front seat passengers on the way to the windscreen.

 

[Tynan]

something of almost zero impact to the driver that stops them horribly injuring themselves and making them a burden on the tax payer and emergency services silly?

rather like mobiles, if the police don't enforce it what on earth do they expect to happen?

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I never used to wear mine. Mostly because the truck I was driving at the time (a 1998 Daf 95) didn't have them fitted and I just got out of the habit of wearing one.

 

[summerdays]

If you want to see how many ...you have to be wearing hi vis... I notice them see the hi-vis, reach for their seat belt, then realise I'm not the police.

 

[TwickenhamCyclist]

I’m quite happy for drivers not to wear belts:

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1564465,00.html?cnn=yes

Think he was the first to suggest to lover RTA rates it would probably be better to remove seatbelts from all cars and replac them with a sharp stake on the steering wheel pointing at the driver’s chest – or to replace bumpers with sticks of dynamite

 

[Wolf04]

Fascinating stuff! So a compulsory ban on all safety equipment is the way forward?
BentMikey do you want my Hi-Viz?
;-)
Only joking but food for thought.

 

[Brains]

Volvo solved the seat-belt issue back in the late 70's

If you are not wearing a seat-belt in a Volvo a red light flashes and clicks on the dashboard and on the back on the headrest (for people in the back)

It works on weight on the seat and a connection in the seat-belt lock. (which means heavy shopping on the back seat has to be 'belted in')

Just how expensive would that be to install in every production car from now on ? How many lives/injuries would it save ?

 

[Wolf04]

Volvo solved the seat-belt issue back in the late 70's

If you are not wearing a seat-belt in a Volvo a red light flashes and clicks on the dashboard and on the back on the headrest (for people in the back)

It works on weight on the seat and a connection in the seat-belt lock. (which means heavy shopping on the back seat has to be 'belted in')

Just how expensive would that be to install in every production car from now on ? How many lives/injuries would it save ?

Not much of a jump in technology to extend this system to prevent the car starting. There again most cars sold in this country are capable of twice the legal speed limit why?. Technology could of course be used to reduce RTA but there are too many vested interests and not enough political will to bring it about.