100% seatbelt wearing if you are in my car. We used to tell our kids the car couldn’t go unless everyone’s seat belts were fastened.
I won’t drive the car anywhere until everyone is buckled up. If someone has a problem with that, they can drive themselves.
Let’s put it this way. I hope I’m not the cause of an accident, but I cannot predict what might happen with other drivers on the road. I want my passengers and myself to be safe…seatbelts fastened…as safe as possible.
No seatbelt, no riding in my car.
When I was very young (back in the 60s), mom was driving, she took a left turn, the back door flew open, and my little sister almost went out with it. I managed to grab on to her and keep her in the car.
Two of my sisters were in an accident and were not wearing seatbelts. They came out of it okay, but I think that was the last time anyone in the family didn’t buckle up.
I can’t stand that seatbelts dinging! I wear mine 99.9% of the time, but if we are on a long trip and I want to take off my coat or sweatshirt, I need to take it belt off for a sec to get the whatever I’m wearing off. 3 dings and I’m about to go nuts.
I can’t remember a time when I’ve had someone in the car that didn’t put it on. But I also read lots of fatalities when the drivers/riders weren’t wearing seatbelts. I don’t get it
Is it more common to not wear them in certain parts of the country?? Around here, we always wear them, as does anyone with whom I get into a car. It’s just not an issue.
When S1 was around three years old, we had an issue, but I told him if he wasn’t fastened, we weren’t going anywhere. That took care of that.
I remember the first time I put on a seat belt. It was 1981. I had a 1978 Honda Civic and I didn’t wear them. I was watching tv one night and there was a commercial encouraging people to use seat belts. I remember thinking to my self -‘yeah, why don’t I wear my seat belt?’ I started the next day. I kid you not, about two weeks later I had a roll over accident (forward facing) rolling twice and landing top down. I remember feeling the seat belt binding my stomach and realized I was upside down. I turned off the car, braced my self and unbuckled it, opened the door and walked out and up an embankment. I hitched a ride back to the ER from someone who stopped and saw the accident. I had been working all night in the ER as a med student. I had no injuries. The car was totaled, but It was drivable after a tow and some repairs, so I had it for several more years.
NO ONE RIDES WITHOUT A SEAT BELT FASTENED IN MY CAR. I say I’m not moving until everyone is fastened.
My MIL hated(!) wearing a seatbelt. HATED! She’d pretend to put it on, holding it in place, etc.
One time I was supposed to pick her up at the airport. I was first stopping at her house to set the air conditioner, and some other things to get it ready for her. When I walked in I heard rushing water. Yikes! Bathroom on the 2nd floor had a burst pipe. I called my brother in law for help, and while he came to help me, he sent his wife to pick up mom.
Whoops - SIL had a brake failure on the freeway (in her mini van) and slammed into the center divider. Mom was sitting in the back, pretending to wear her seatbelt, and was thrown into the belly of the van. Broke her collarbone and other things.
Every time she’d get in my car after that and pretended to wear her seatbelt, my exact words were “the last time someone was in a car not wearing their seatbelt their house flooded!” It got the point across!
Wear the seatbelt. Every time! Wear a helmet. Every time! Wear a parachute. Every time.
I’m pushing 60 and never wore one until I was in college (my mom insisted). I wear ine to drive around the block now (our driveway is on a street behind our house, and we have a no overnight street parking ordinance in town so I frequently park out front during the day). I do catch my husband not wearing one, drives me nuts. Kids always do.
My mom had a car that had a faulty passenger door, if it wasn’t locked, out you’d go. And out we went, never even thinking about wearing a seatbelt, just tried to remember to lock it as children. This was in the early 70’s.
Seat belt use does vary across different states:
https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813615
Lowest rates in 2023 appear to be Virginia (73.2%), Nebraska (77.3%), New Hampshire (77.9%), North Dakota (78.5%), and Arkansas (79.7%).
Highest rates in 2023 appear to be Hawaii (98.4%), Iowa (96.9%), Guam (96.8%), California (96.2%), and Alaska (95.2%).
Honestly, the %age in my state doesn’t matter to me. It’s 100% when riding in my car.
Wow - 1/4? Don’t wear. That’s mind blowing. But I’d think there’s a wealth factor too - higher income more likely. Age too. And political affiliation.
We still read about car accidents of people not belted.
I live in HI and can’t imagine people not wearing seatbelts. It boggles my mind. When we traveled, I still remember having to pay exorbitant fees to the rental car places to rent a car seat! I was so glad when we no longer had to pay for car seat rentals!
We religiously use seat belts. Our daughters and their families do too. When they were growing up we would always have a race to see who could put their belt on first. I would also say when they were young “Put your seat belt on because you don’t want us to be in an accident”. My middle daughter somehow thought that accidents that we saw on the road were caused by people not wearing their seat belt.
We have a couple of friends who do not wear them. I am not sure why – government conspiracy.
I read years ago that some European country has a law that if you are in an accident and do not have your seat belt on then you have to pay for 20% of you medical costs. It goes for motorcycle helments too.
I have a friend who is an organ recipient. One time there had been several days of rain, but we woke up and sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. We happened to be driving up to New Hampshire where helmets are optional, and saw a group of motorcycle riders with no helmets on. I mentioned this to my friend and the first words out of his mouth were: “organ donors!”.
I am not in a hurry to become an organ donor.
An ER doc friend calls motorcyclists without helmets “donorcycles”.
Thanks for the replies. I was hoping someone had dealt with this and could give a good way to ask someone to wear one when they wouldn’t, thinking I may end up driving the shoulder strap remover at some point. Not sure if “I don’t want you to die” or “I don’t want to be sued if you get hurt” or what would be most effective. There are people who never believe things will happen to them. I’m not sure if she repeatedly says “it’s fine” if putting her out in the parking lot is an option.
I just have as my blanket rule, my car that I’m driving doesn’t move when 100% of people in it aren’t properly secured. No exceptions. People have obliged.
Live free and die?
Regarding the shoulder belts that some people find constricting – in most cars, you can adjust the height of where they come across your neck – or, ideally, your chest. As a short person, I make sure to adjust them in the cars I drive frequently.
Also for those who are stubbornly obstinate, I would iterate that in my car this is the rule.
If you don’t care for my rules, you are welcomed to find another option.
I don’t think you need to state why or argue.
I’ve had to say that before. Not in this situation but others. I’m not comfortable driving you without your shoulder strap. The end.
As far as the young people, I would tell them to find their own transportation. Because that was rude and uncalled for.