Wearing a seat belt

[Eli]

I posted this at a different forum I recently joined, and I got a lot of replies, so I thought I'd bring it up here as well. This was something I thought about today after driving with my parents and my best friend. It's a bit long, so if you want to know my point, but don't bother reading it all, the essentials are bolded out, I know I tend to talk waay to much

Anyway, to the point.

I want to ask for some opinions from you concerning wearing a seat belt when you're driving (or you're in a car even if you're not driving).

The legal driving age here is 18 (you can drive under adult supervision from you're 16) so only about half of my friends have a license. My best friend turned 18 earlier this year, but haven't taken the test yet, and since I still have a few more months to go before I turn 18 I don't have a license either.

Because of this we tend to end up having to get our parents to drive us places, which mostly works fine for us.

My parents have always been very strict when it comes to wearing a seat belt, but now that I'm older it's not like they always check to make sure my friends and I are wearing seat belts, because they usually assume we remember, and they shouldn't really have to look after and remind us to do it. It's simply not something they should need to worry about if you ask me.

Anyway, parents being strict or not, I don't think that really matters much, cause either way I don't really get the point of not wearing a seat belt. I always do it, it just comes naturally after all these years, and when I drive (with supervision) I always make sure that everyone else in the car wears a seat belt, because I know there's a risk, and I know that if I drive and something goes wrong, I want to make sure everyone is as safe as possible.

Now my best friend, she's amazing in so many ways and all, but I have noticed something about her that really bugs me. Whenever she's driving she wears a seatbelt (from what I have noticed at least), but when she gets in the car with other people, like her or my parents etc., she doesn't always wear a seat belt if we're just going for a small drive, like down to the beach or home from the mall or something.

I don't know, but for some reason I think it's worse that she doesn't wear the belt when other's are driving than if she hadn't wore it when she was driving herself, cause if you ask me you kinda have a responsibility. If I drove and was in an accident and someone in my car died because they didn't wear a seat belt, I know I'd still feel like I killed them, and chances are that if he/she had worn a seat belt I probably wouldn't have had to feel guilty for someone's death at all (at least the chances of someone dying would be a lot smaller).

Call me weak and ridiculous, but I really don't feel uncomfortable telling her to put on a seat belt when someone else is driving. If I was driving I don't think I would have a problem, but for some reason I really don't want to tell her to do so when someone else is driving, even if it's my parents. I don't really want them to have to tell her either, I just think that you also have a responsibility for the driver and how he/she would feel if there was an accident and you were in the car, wearing a seat belt or not.

I usually just end up trying to tell her in some lame, other way, like saying "I read the police logs today (I work at a newspaper) and they sure do a lot of controls these days, EVERY day I read about people getting tickets for not wearing a seat belt. We should make sure we wear them later, cause it's just a matter of time before there's a patrol controlling the road we're going to drive home. They haven't been there in a long time, so I guess it's our turn now..." etc. etc.. I know it's lame, but I just don't feel comfortable telling her to put on a seat belt because I think she has a responsibility to do so.

One of my other friends was in an accident just a few months ago, only weeks after she got her license. The car went completely around and landed on the roof because she fell asleep. She hadn't been drinking or anything, and she didn't feel tired at all, she was just going home, you know, just a "quick trip".

She wore her seat belt and was alone in the car, and even though the car was completely wrecked she only got a few scratches. If she hadn't worn a seat belt she probably wouldn't have made it at all.

Okay, that was a really long post and I apologise for that, but I just really want some opinions on this. Is it okay not to wear a seat belt when someone else is driving, or do you too have a responsibility, not just for yourself but also for the driver and/or other people who would be with you if you were in an accident?

[freakybuffy]

OK, I've briefy read through your post as it's a long one! But in the UK it's the driver responsibility to make sure everyone wearing their seatbelt. If you get caught it's a £60 fine. No matter how long the drive is I wear mine and if people are in the car with me, they put there's on. I don't understand why people don't wear them in some cars and not in others, as it just become a habit to put it on. Like you've said if you have an accident it could be the difference between life and death, so why take that chance.

[Eli]

Yeah, I agree, and thanks for replying. I don't know how it is here, but I think strictly legally it's the driver's responsibility here too. However, I still do think that it's not just the driver's responsibility. It might be in the official documents if the police pulls your over and gives you a ticket because of it, but still, I do think it's the passengers' own responsibility as well, the driver shouldn't have to remind an 18 year old to put on her seat belt and make sure she does it.

[rising-flame]

For passengers under the age of 18, it's the drivers responsibility, over that it's the passengers, though everyone ought to wear a seatbelt, it's just safer that way.

[KaitieL]

You might not feel comfortable telling your friend to wear her seatbelt, but you need to put that aside. As mentioned, it can be the difference between life and death. It makes a huge difference.

Here in Australia, it's the driver's responsibility for passengers to wear seatbelts, until the reach a certain age (16 I think). I know they've been changed in the past few years because a few of my friends were out driving and he was pulled over. Now his friend (passenger) wasn't wearing a seatbelt and the officer was going to give the driver a ticket until my friend argued with him that his friend was old enough to be responsible to wear it. My friend won and his mate was given the ticket instead. I'm not exactly sure of the ages, but it's a $225 fine and three demerit points. They make a big deal of it in Queensland. And they've changed the restraint laws for children as well which meant that I had to buy another car seat for my son. $350 for a booster seat is expensive, but I would rather spend that money then have him hurt of killed in an accident.

I always wear a seatbelt and make sure that everyone in the car is as well before we go anywhere. I'm not going to take that chance if we have an accident, because even though I shouldn't, I would feel responsible if one of my friends got hurt and they weren't wearing a seatbelt. I never been in a major car accident, but I have seen photos and it's enough to scare you into it.

So yeah, my point is, just tell your friend. If she knows that it makes you uncomfortable, then she might wear it. And there might be a reason why she doesn't.

[thelonius]

I agree with what's been said, you should just tell her. If you feel uncomfortable saying it's her responsibility, why don't you tell her for her own safety? Bring up your friend who had the car accident but was wearing a seatbelt and say it could have been so much worse and you don't want that happening to anyone you care about. I mean, yeah I would probably feel a bit lame too lecturing someone about seatbelts but imagine if she was involved in an accident. You'd feel partially responsible that you didn't say anything beforehand. Good luck

[EmyKate68]

I agree with what's been said so far and i think when the passengers are all over 18 it is everyone's responsibility to make sure everyone is strapped in. You shouldn't feel bad about telling another passenger to wear their seatbelt - it's not just their own life they are risking - if they are in the back seat they could potentially kill another passenger or the driver in the front by crushing them.

[zzazzb]

wow. long post, i read it all too!

i agree with you, when i get in the car, no matter how close where I'm going is, i just automatically put on my seatbelt.

I reckon you should tell your friend, if you are really close with her, she should listen to you and feel lucky that someone cares about her safety.goodluck.

[stephyrose4]

I read abit of what you wrote, and personally I always wear a seatbelt, its not just cos I dont want to get a fine, its because if I have a crash it might save my life. In personal experience I have been in a few crashes, and the seat belt saved me from getting major injuries.

My cousion also, was in a major car accident, there was 6 people in the car, 4 of them came out without any major injuries because they were wearing a seatbelt. My cousion wasnt wearing a seatbelt and he was critical, he had a 30% chance to survive, and he survived thankfully. But the other guy that was in the car died, he wasnt wearing a seatbelt, and if he was wearing a seatbelt he would of survived.

Either way it's everyones decision to wear a seatbelt, but I will always wear a seatbelt, i dont care if I'm in the car with all my mates, and they arent wearing the seatbelts, i will.

[lolajaney]

my parents always insisted i wore a seatbeat and was on a booster seat when i was a child. now when my mother rides in our car we insist we won't start driving tillshe's belted up. not such much for her but that if we crashed she'd squash my hubby in front of her. After severely bruising my ribs just after christmas two years ago i now am very thankful for seatbelts especially after i saw how much damage our car had.