NYPD Tragedy

[NYLIBUD]

Just read about two off duty NYPD cops ,that were killed just hours after one of them just got married.They apparently rented a Maserati and were speeding.They were also not wearing seat belts.The car hit a tree in upstate NY.Both died,but a third person,who was wearing a seat belt,survived. RIP.

[NYLIBUD]

Well apparently I didn't read the date that this tragedy occurred.I apologize,it appears it happened in May of last year.

[Lizard Racing]

Police officers are always telling us: "I've never unbuckled a dead person."

[High octane]

I've been in a few accidents where I was hit from the back, and glad I always wear seat belts even back in the mid-60's as I wouldn't want to get thrown through the windshield, No thanks.

[Snake45]

2 hours ago, Lizard Racing said:

Police officers are always telling us: "I've never unbuckled a dead person."

Heard it many times. But I've also heard this many times: "The cops said if I/he/she hadn't been thrown from the car, I/he/she'd have been killed." 

Personally, I think the odds are with wearing the belt, so I do. 

[Russell C]

Got t-boned in my former little tin box hatchback by a '70s Caprice doing around 40mph (long story, my fault). One thing I was impressed by was the 3 rectangular purple bruises I got from the belts through a couple of layers of clothing. I was fine otherwise, as was the guy and his son in the Caprice, who were also wearing their belts.

But the reason I wear 'em was from the driver's training films I saw in the '70s in high school, which featured really outdated scenes of late '50s big fin cars. In one, the car had only done snap spins in the highway median grass without rolling over, but the driver was thrown out the window, broke his back, and when he was put face down on the stretcher, he was screaming and had major clumps of grass clamped in his hands. To this day I feel weird in my car if I don't put on the belt.

[89AKurt]

I know a couple of former cops, who will not wear seat belts.  Recently he told me they were always in the way of his gun, and when in pursuit, wanted to exit the car quickly.  So it was a habit.

I feel like I'm floating around the cabin without it.  When I did track time with my MINI Cooper, got a 4 point belt, which did not retract, I was pinned to the seat, which actually helped with steering because I wasn't clinging for dear life when hammering corners.  Then I kept it in the car permanently, thought I would die if I got in a wreck with the normal belt and got hurt.  Now I'm back to normal with the Honda.

[espo]

I always wear my seat belts, mostly out of habit but I also realize the importance in the event of an accident. Funny story about my wife and seat belts. When we first got together I had a '69 Camaro for a personal car that I had done the full suspension springs, sway bars, shocks, and bigger , by then standards, 15" wheels and 245/60 Dunlop's. With the modifications to the suspension it drove like a go cart  She had only been a passenger up until then. One day she wanted to drive it her self to go somewhere and she was not a seat belt wearer at that time. WE lived in Sacramento and at that time the Business 80 and I-80 interchange could be a little dicey if all drivers were not watching what they were doing.  Some guy was entering from her right and was trying to jump over two lanes of heavy traffic with out looking. She was abele to maneuver around this driver but in doing so she had to make a hard right and then a hard left to keep from running over him. With smooth vinyl seats and no center consul she found herself sitting on the transmission hump and the only thing that kept her in control was a death grip on the steering wheel.  She has been a seat belt believer ever since.  

[NYLIBUD]

Everyone should always wear their seat belts.Even back seat passengers.I remember for the longest time,when I was younger,and stupid,I would never wear a seat belt.Actually when I first got my license,wearing seat belts was not really a priority.There were no laws yet on the books..Then when I was in my 20s I got a speeding ticket.So I decided to take one of those boring 6 hour,, defensive driving classes.The class was packed with other drivers.The instructor first asked everybody to raise their hands if they didn't wear a seatbelt.Well I was the only person in the room to raise my hand.Everybody turned around and gave me "are u crazy looks",Then the teacher started lecturing me.Anyway,I was pretty embarrassed being the only one who raised their hand.Now ever since taking that class,I always wear my seat belt.It just comes natural.I don't even think about it..I get in the car,start my engine,check my mirrors,and then put my belt on.Plus,I don't want some stupid ticket for not wearing one.Anyway,they save millions,ok (correction,thousands) of lives everyday,and thats a fact.But I just can't understand how two cops,driving in a very fast car,no less,weren't wearing their belts.What a wasteful tragedy.

Edited November 30, 2018 by NYLIBUD

[Snake45]

6 minutes ago, NYLIBUD said:

Anyway,they save millions of lives everyday,and thats a fact.

Millions of lives every day? 

[NYLIBUD]

14 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

Millions of lives every day? 

Ok maybe thousands of lives everyday.That seem more accurate for ya?

[Badluck 13]

Millions,thousands,or a hundred,or even one,doesn't matter as Ron said they save lives and that you cannot put a figure on ......Buckle up! 

[Snake45]

1 hour ago, NYLIBUD said:

Ok maybe thousands of lives everyday.That seem more accurate for ya?

More possible. Apparently there are 16-17K auto accidents in the US every day. Are 2K of these (let's say one out of eight) serious enough to have been life-threatening? Possble, I suppose. 

https://www.quora.com/How-many-car-accidents-are-there-in-the-USA-per-day

On an interesting side note, I know a police officer who's been spared from death three times in car crashes not by seat belts, but by the body armor he was wearing. 

[NYLIBUD]

Oh man,those stats are scary.You got to be crazy If you drive your car,and don't wear a seatbelt.

Edited November 30, 2018 by NYLIBUD

[espo]

I remember an accident from my childhood. They didn't even have seat belts then. I was in the back seat of our family car and my father was driving. There was snow on the ground and I'm sure a small amount of ice on the road.  The school bus we had been following stopped and my father could not and we slid into the rear bumper of the bus. As I recall the Ford dealer replaced almost all the sheet metal from the windshield forward. I ricocheted off the back of the front seat and on the floor. Nothing broken but I was bruised up pretty good.  

[1972coronet]

On the opposite end of the spectrum : lap-only belts ! One of my cousins became a paralysed after being in a wreck ; she was the back seat passenger in a Ford Escort (back in the days when the rear passengers were treated to lap-only restraints) when the car got rear-ended quite hard . She would not have become paralysed if she wasn't wearing that (stupid) lap belt ! If there's no shoulder restraint , then I don't bother . This would apply to 1967 & earlier U.S. passenger cars ( and c.1972 & earlier light duty trucks ) . I'd much rather die than be permanently paralysed --- but that's just me .

Then we can get into virtual anomalies : let's take the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake (17.10.1989) for an instance . The Nimitz Freeway's Cypress Viaduct's upper-portion collapsed-onto the lower-portion ; many vehicles were tossed from the upper-deck and onto the streets below .

No amount of seat belt wearing would avert those injuries .

[89AKurt]

13 minutes ago, 1972coronet said:

[...] This would apply to 1967 & earlier U.S. passenger cars ( and c.1972 & earlier light duty trucks ) . I'd much rather die than be permanently paralysed --- but that's just me . [...]

That's what I have thought when buckling up in my '69 Chevy pickup's lap only belt, there is a bolt hole for shoulder belts so I could upgrade.  But then I still have the solid steering column to punch a hole in my chest.  Not having ABS brakes, and drums to boot, makes it fun.  I don't live in Phoenix, so not exposing myself to 90 MPH speeds.

[1972coronet]

2 minutes ago, 89AKurt said:

That's what I have thought when buckling up in my '69 Chevy pickup's lap only belt, there is a bolt hole for shoulder belts so I could upgrade.  But then I still have the solid steering column to punch a hole in my chest.  Not having ABS brakes, and drums to boot, makes it fun.  I don't live in Phoenix, so not exposing myself to 90 MPH speeds.

There are upgrade belts --- 3-point --- for older vehicles . I got rid of my Coronet's garbage two-piece restraint arrangement (the 1970-1971 set was MUCH better . Not sure as to why Chrysler abandoned that better setup for the stiff-as-mummy 1972-1973 "trap" ) and added a Mark XV [ out of business now ] setup . This upgrade was so easy ; it uses the original mounting points of the BDSM belts , so zero cutting / welding / modifying was required . And , these upgraded parts look so close to the OEM design , but function like newer (c.1980 & newer) belts . 

Seat belts used to be so uncomfortable and cumbersome , especially the ridiculous 1974-only Federal Mandate setup --- you couldn't start your vehicle until those bondage restraints were buckled ! That was across the board ; all of the 'Big 4' manufactures were mandated to design that lame system...

...only to have it cancelled for 1975...

...by the same idiots who pushed that mandate into place .

[Snake45]

49 minutes ago, 1972coronet said:

On the opposite end of the spectrum : lap-only belts ! One of my cousins became a paralysed after being in a wreck ; she was the back seat passenger in a Ford Escort (back in the days when the rear passengers were treated to lap-only restraints) when the car got rear-ended quite hard . She would not have become paralysed if she wasn't wearing that (stupid) lap belt ! If there's no shoulder restraint , then I don't bother . This would apply to 1967 & earlier U.S. passenger cars ( and c.1972 & earlier light duty trucks ) . I'd much rather die than be permanently paralysed --- but that's just me .

Then we can get into virtual anomalies : let's take the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake (17.10.1989) for an instance . The Nimitz Freeway's Cypress Viaduct's upper-portion collapsed-onto the lower-portion ; many vehicles were tossed from the upper-deck and onto the streets below .

No amount of seat belt wearing would avert those injuries .

I barrel-rolled a '61 VW while wearing a lap belt only, and the only injury I got that day was a cut on my finger when I pulled one of the dented-in fenders away from the tire before I drove it home. 

[89AKurt]

8 hours ago, Snake45 said:

I barrel-rolled a '61 VW while wearing a lap belt only, and the only injury I got that day was a cut on my finger when I pulled one of the dented-in fenders away from the tire before I drove it home. 

 My mom rolled their Beetle after hitting black ice.  Don't think she was injured much, I was born not too long afterward.

[NYLIBUD]

Yea I was in a rollover accident in my Jeep about three years ago.I was making a left,when a girl coming straight for me,had no headlights on.It was about 11pm,I never saw her coming.She then hit my back passenger tire,and I went up and over.She definitely hit me in the worst spot.But I was wearing my seat belt.It could've been a lot worse if I hadn't been wearing it..However when you are upside down,it can be a little bit difficult to find the belt release.I finally find the button.I pressed it,and then fell on the roof,and then climbed my way out of my Jeep through my window.The girl who hit me was only 18,and she wasn't wearing a seat belt.No head lights on,and no seat belts.Yea good job..

[cowboy rich]

Had a friend that has now passed, due to non seat belt causes, back in 1986 he rolled a fully loaded cabover Peterbilt 4 times and crushed the cab all the way down on to the dog house, since he was NOT wearing a belt he was able to get under the steering wheel and walked away wearing one it would have crushed him.

 

 

[Agent G]

ALWAYS WEAR THE BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH BELT.

Even in the police car I wore the belt. The trick was to take it off prior to arriving. We used to practice that on a vacant lot with the sergeant (me, later on) watching.  During comparisons, there was a significant difference in exiting the car with the belt off first.  

Civilians have NO excuse.

G

[Tom Geiger]

My father was military and the US Army promoted seat belt use early on.  He bought seat belts and installed them in cars that didn't come with them.  I always remember wearing a lap belt as a kid. Mandatory in my dad's presence!   It became a life long habit before it was ever legislated.  And fortunately in my 60 years I  haven't been involved in a crash bad enough for this to come into play!   Knock on wood.

[High octane]

I had to have a seat belt installed in my first car in the mid-60's so that I could go racin' on the drag strip. A guy at work did it for me as I was young yet and had no tools either. That changed not too much later though.