Why is seat belt useage so low among Southern PICKUP

[hammersley]

owners?????



http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-05-14-seat-belt-inside_x.htm



http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-05-14-seat-belt-cover_x.htm



I mean do you almost always use your seatbelt?????? This article goes on to say that in Georgia ypu don't need to wear a seatbelt if you are in a pickup truck. They went on to explain that apparently this is a holdover to a different time when more folks lived in rural georgia and the farmers didn't want to have to wear seatbelts going from one filed to another - pretty flimsy to me.....

 

[EBolgiano]

Here in Mississippi it is the law that you wear your seatbelt and can be pulled over and given a ticket if you don't. The wife and I always wear ours. I have worn my seatbelt since I bought my first new car - a '73 Dodge Challenger.

 

[Jong]

Far as I know, New Hampshire is the last holdout on your choice of seat belt use as long as you are over the age of 18. LIVE FREE OR DIE!!!!!!!!!

 

[easleyj1]

I guess the next thing ya'll want is kids on bikes wearing helments. lol



Jonny

 

[JoshPeters]

After being in a Rollover accident... and both of us were wearing our seatbelts... . I'll always wear mine.



Ya know when they say that during the roll you could be crushed by your own vehicle...



Think about this one... . We rolled 2. 5 times. The items that were BETWEEN us were found UNDER the truck when the tow truck rolled it back over. Not just a little under, almost like they fell off the seat, through the roof. (solid roof)



I ALWAYS wear mine. That was enough for me.



Josh

 

[HeberRam]

no seatbelts???

The reason people in the south don't wear seat belts, is because they don't know what end to tie around their necks. :-laf :-laf

 

[GFritsch]

With what we know today about seatbelts saving lives, it is incredible to me that some still refuse to buckle up. I believe that I have a hard head at times, but not harder than my windshield.



The choice to not wear a seatbelt is just natures natural selection I guess.



I am not in favor of seatbelt laws and helmet laws though. I believe it is an adults personal right to handle their own health anyway they see fit. After all if we are concerned about people dying we would have to outlaw alcohol, cigarettes, fatty foods, sunbathing, etc.



Greg

 

[WAckerman]

I am not in favor of seatbelt laws and helmet laws though. I believe it is an adults personal right to handle their own health anyway they see fit. After all if we are concerned about people dying we would have to outlaw alcohol, cigarettes, fatty foods, sunbathing, etc.



Greg

I'll second that...

 

[CDonaldson]

I guess I'll third that, and I also agree with the other things that should be unnecessarily outlawed to protect your health and life. In fact, those should have a higher priority as they cause more deaths than not wearing a seat belt. I believe that seat belts, just like helmets, should be your choice to use as an adult decision. Here in NM it is a law that you wear them, so I do when I am out on the highway. The less than 1 mile ride from home to the garbage dumpster is another story, and I usually do not buckle up. Also, I do not buckle up when I'm in town and have several stops a 1/2 block apart. I hade the seatbelt bell to remind me to put mine on, and I hate the automatic door locks at 15mph. When I am going to hit the open road and travel at higher speeds, I then do buckle up.



CD

 

[Hohn]

Far as I know, New Hampshire is the last holdout on your choice of seat belt use as long as you are over the age of 18. LIVE FREE OR DIE!!!!!!!!!

Actually, I think in THIS case, it should be LIVE FREE *AND*DIE!. . haha

 

[Jong]

Hohn, do you wear a helmet in the shower? We're all gonna go someday, that I'll agree on. Until then, the government can stay out of my truck cab.

 

[nps]

The reason? Darwin's natural selection in practice. :-laf

 

[nickleinonen]

The reason? Darwin's natural selection in practice. :-laf

yep. . if they are stupid enough to drive with no belt, or drink and drive, or smoke ... they will eventually die. if they die of old age naturally fine, if they die young from being stupid. . the gene pool always needs some scrubbing to keep it clean [alcohol is a good disinfectant eh :-laf]

 

[gonehuntingagain]

Maybe they don't wear a seatbelt because they want to be "thrown clear"

 

[Pawpaw]

I believed in seat belts and started wearing them long before it was the law anywhere. The only time I don't wear it is on the farm or other rural, off-road type situations... low speed and the biggest hazard is a fast moving cow.



I agree, however, that there should be no seat belt laws. It should be everyone's personal decision whether to wear one. I also believe the insurance companies should have the right to deny medical coverage to any adult that is in an accident while not wearing one.



Bob

 

[JasonCzerak]

It's just habbit for me. I don't think about it. It even feels funny with out a seat belt.



There are been a few times when I didn't and was stop and go in a parking lot. on on the grouds of a show doing security



And I have to agrees, laws telling me how to be safe. F@W# that. Don't we have better things to debate and make laws about like, ohhh, I dunno, making sure traffic likes are synced so we don't stop every 1/2 mile for a red light. Or maybe training police to ticket for traffic violations other then speeding, maybe "correct merging".



But people who don't, expecially those on motorcylces get ZERO respect from me. In fact, sometimes they get a puff of smoke in the face and/or a drive by at WOT if they are riding like retards on the roads.



In fact there was this one Harley rider, all fast on his "sportster". I was 4 or 5 trucks in front, in a tunnel, from 2000rpm to 3000rpm in 5th. his ears had to of been ringing for a few hours after that. He attempted to race me BTW, no helment, making noise, trying to be fast. Sorry, that's one slow bike. And no, I won't run a bike with out proper, logical, common sence safey gear.

 

[JasonCzerak]

...



I agree, however, that there should be no seat belt laws. It should be everyone's personal decision whether to wear one. I also believe the insurance companies should have the right to deny medical coverage to any adult that is in an accident while not wearing one.



Bob

That's entire reason why they have these laws. it's because people don't have insurance get into accidents. We pay for their medical bills cuz they can't/won't. Hospitols won't deny treatment. Someone's gota help buy that doctors his new BMW M5, and that's US with insurance.



If you have a seatbelt on, human damage is less then going though that windshield, there for less medical bills. In theory it's sound. But morally, it's wrong.



I disagree Insurance shouldn't deny claims, if they have it. that's just opening hte door for lagit accidents not being paid.



"you should of know better how to use a knife, we won't pay to get it re-attached".





Tho, raise of rates should go up for stupidity, but not for real accidents. Same with cars insurance, Why should my rates go up if I get hit and not at fault? that's bull!

 

[nps]

I agree, however, that there should be no seat belt laws. It should be everyone's personal decision whether to wear one. I also believe the insurance companies should have the right to deny medical coverage to any adult that is in an accident while not wearing one.



Bob

Unfortunately, being the compassionate country we are, either the ins co pays or public assistance pays. So they make the laws to prevent or mitigate injury so the society as a whole doesn't have the bear the cost of a personal decision. Good argument for banning smoking too! :-laf

 

[Hohn]

Hohn, do you wear a helmet in the shower? We're all gonna go someday, that I'll agree on. Until then, the government can stay out of my truck cab.

Of course I do. And also when I'm tethered to the jungle gym. Mummy says it's just how it has to be

 

[Hohn]

With what we know today about seatbelts saving lives, it is incredible to me that some still refuse to buckle up. I believe that I have a hard head at times, but not harder than my windshield.

The choice to not wear a seatbelt is just natures natural selection I guess.

I am not in favor of seatbelt laws and helmet laws though. I believe it is an adults personal right to handle their own health anyway they see fit. After all if we are concerned about people dying we would have to outlaw alcohol, cigarettes, fatty foods, sunbathing, etc.

Greg

Greg, I'm with you in that I'm pretty libertarian, but I can't indulge those tendencies because of the fact that TAXPAYERS end up footing so much of the bill for other people's bad choices.

Have a kid you can't afford to raise? It's OK, welfare will help you.
Dying of cancer from all your smoking? Hey, Medicare is just what the Dr. ordered.

Because SOMEONE has to pay when someone does something stupid, I have to support these laws that help to reduce the amount of taxpayer dollars that are abused...

jh