Seat belt=Kill belt?

[spinem]

Some people say a lap belt will anchor your butt, forcing your head to meet the steering wheel.. where as if u didnt wear it, your stomach will take the impact.

My question, do you guys believe this? (giving that its a simple front end collision, non roll over, or side impact)

Poll is private~~~~~

[longbedrick]

I imagine your whole torso would hit from your gut up to your throat. youtube a "crash test dummy" video

[spinem]

Originally Posted by longbedrick

I imagine your whole torso would hit from your gut up to your throat. youtube a "crash test dummy" video

true, but ive been in a crash, passenger side, and my hips were brused for weeks, forehead woulda been dinted if i was tall enough to meet the dash...

im still kinda torn between thoughts...

[longbedrick]

YouTube- Crash test with and without safety belt

[qu1cks1lver56]

the same car's airbag doesn't deploy when the seatbelt's off?

[spinem]

....and yes.... with air bags, so that dosent say much, id love to see one with no air bags, same test.

[67ChevyRedneck]

You need another option:

Lapbelts suck, so I insalled 3 points that I ALWAYS wear.

[cableguy0]

Lap belts are known to cause severe internal injuries on impacts that wouldnt be considered serious at this point. i never wore the lap belt in my old truck. To be honest i dont wear my seatbelt at all regardless but lap belts do more harm than good in almost all crashes

[Stocker]

Lap belts are better than nothing, and three-points are better than lap belts. Whatever you have, use 'em, all the time. Getting bruised beats getting dead any day. More than just keeping your head off the glass, it's crucial to stay inside the vehicle in an accident -- your chances of survival will be greatly improved.

If I seem somewhat one-sided on this issue, it's because one or two bits of past experience have penetrated my thick skull.

[vectorit]

All the years growing up in the burb with no seat belts on any of the benches, I am amazed that we were never in an accident. Thank God we weren't, since I am sure that it would have been ugly.
Today, I will slap on any kind of belt rather than go with out. Preferably a three pointer, the type we all see now a days in the newer cars and trucks.
If all there is, is a lap belt like the one in my burb today I will be wearing it.

Here is a video of a dude who decided to go sans seat belt of any kind...

YouTube- No Seat Belt

As far as the poll questions.
I think any seat belt is better than nothing, and either a lap belt or a 3 pointer can hurt you in an accident. But, I'd rather take some abdominal injuries or a nasty bump on the head. Than finding myself outside the vehicle all busted up or dead.

[red71c10]

Originally Posted by 67chevyredneck

you need another option:

Lapbelts suck, so i insalled 3 points that i always wear.

x2

[67ChevyRedneck]

Same here. When I was a kid, I was 4 wheeling with my dad in a truck that only had lap belts. We had to cut the fun short when the truck got stuck and came to a sudden stop and my face smashed into the dash and blood came pouring out of my nose.

A 3 point saved my life when I was 17, and helped out in quite a few other instances (see below). My truck was also hit from behind a couple years ago and I walked away without a scratch.

Seatbelts also hold your butt in place during accident avoidance manuvers as well. My skinny ass slides all over the seat if I'm not wearing one, even at low speeds. If you have to "hang on to the steering wheel" to make a quick turn to avoid an accident, you won't be able to be as effective if you had a belt on.

[Slow Build]

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

Seatbelts also hold your butt in place during accident avoidance manuvers as well. My skinny ass slides all over the seat if I'm not wearing one, even at low speeds. If you have to "hang on to the steering wheel" to make a quick turn to avoid an accident, you won't be able to be as effective if you had a belt on.

Anything that helps you avoid an accident in the first place is a plus.
I almost wrecked a Datsun 510 I had in the Late 70's due to the combination of a car that handles like a go cart, no seatbelt and freshly Armoralled seats. It's hard to steer and brake from the passenger seat.

[BarryB]

My opinion is its a 50/50 chance either way. I have a bad habit of not wearing my seatbelt. I should because I have seen two collisions that were really bad, both of them walked away with minor cuts and bruises. Both collisions happened while they were traveling around 45-55 mph. My wife t-boned another car doing 45, My mother t-boned another car doing 55mph, neither had time to hit brakes. but after being checked out, were sent home the same night.

BUT in the other hand, I've seen others not wear there seatbelts, and if they had been wearing them they would have been killed or hurt extremely bad. So the best solution is to be has careful driver as possible, and pray nothing happens.

[cableguy0]

Im in the same boat as you Barry. i know 3 people personally who would be dead if they had been wearing there seatbelt. i agree its a 50/50 chance and the seatbelts laws are nothing more than an easy money maker for the states.the same as redlight and speed cameras

[Gregs71]

If the crash is serious enough or maybe a roll over the seat belt will keep you in the truck as opposed to possibly being ejected or bounced a round like a pin ball. Ya you might hit the steering wheel but you won't fly three feet across the cab and have your head go through the passenger window or off the roof of the truck.

I believe statistically something is better than nothing.

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by cableguy0

... i know 3 people personally who would be dead if they had been wearing there seatbelt. ....

How could you possibly know this? Not trying to start a debate, but can you really claim you know for a fact that wearing a seat belt would have killed them?

[maddog1331]

Seat Belt: Offers some sort of safety in a crash, with control of your position.

No Seat Belt: NO form of control, and possibility of ejection.

I'll take the seat belt. I have seen what happens when folks are ejected.

[leddzepp]

Originally Posted by BarryB

BUT in the other hand, I've seen others not wear there seatbelts, and if they had been wearing them they would have been killed or hurt extremely bad. So the best solution is to be has careful driver as possible, and pray nothing happens.

This applies to me. I was t-boned by a Cadillac back in 96, while driving a CJ-5. I was not wearing the belts at the time, and was ejected from the vehicle. If I had a belt on, I would have been crushed inside the vehicle. This is not the typical situation however, and I do wear a 3-point seatbelt all the time now.

[dammitmitchell]

i could care lessa bout the resale of a car... it needs three points..

but at the same time.. i looove mah motorcycles...

[billnorman]

I started dragstrip racing in the '60's. The local strip demanded seat belts. I hated putting one in, but I had to. After a while, I found I could broadslide country roads without needing to hold on to the wing vent frame to stay behind the wheel with a seatbelt on. Just a lap belt. I have rolled two cars since, both wearing a 3 point belt. Never got a scratch, but I did find there is a LOT of dirt on your floor that falls on your face when you are hanging upside down, and sliding on the roof is very noisy and makes sparks at night. I've been in a head-on collision without one, and was lucky to survive. Seat belts save lives. It's a fact. I don't believe it should be a law, but it is. At worst, it makes it easier for the cops to find your corpse.

[andrewmp6]

When i was a kid my grandpa had a 79 c10 it was kinda new then.Some idiot in a camaro hit him head on on a country road both my grand parents walked away the truck was totaled bad.I have had a wreck or two rolling over sucks but is kinda fun too.Air bags hurt my ears rang for 2 weeks had burns on my hands and face and a broke nose from my glasses.I always wear my seat belt no matter who's car i am in.

[spinem]

hummm, and yes, 3points would be awesome, especially if they were quick release! too bad their illegal in california!!!

[andrewmp6]

It would be easier to say what you can do in California then what you can't lol.

[Restrorob]

If not for the lap belt in my 1969 Nova when I wrecked it in 1979, I would NOT be typing this right now.

I don't care who says what, I'm driving/riding in nothing without some type safety belt.

One thing that does bother the crap out of me is the thought of that dang bomb in my 97 waiting to go off in my face. I've been in a few front end collisions in older vehicles, I'd much rather take my chances without a face full of air bag.