Holding down furniture while driving

[JackConrad]

    OK, I gotta comment about the set belts. At our first Bussin' rally a great guy named Jim Stone attended in his beautiful Eagle. That following summer, he was heading to Bat Cave, NC.  From the reports of witnesses, it appears he blew a right front tire and the bus swerved off the road onto the shoulder. Although the bus did not hit an abutment or anything large enough to stop it completely, it hit something that caused a rapid deceleration, throwing Jim and a passenger through the windshields. Because the bus was still moving, it ran over both of them before rolling down an incline and coming to rest on its side. Both were killed. Had they had seat belts on, they probably would have stayed inside the bus riding it down the incline. Yes, they would have probably been injured, but not killed.
    Just a couple weeks ago the governor of NJ, was seriously injured in a rollover with no seat belts.  In my 28 years of riding an emergency rescue (ambulance). I saw so many fatalities and serious injuries that could have been lessened by the use of seat belts.
    2 weeks ago a friend's 16 year old granddaughter was hit head -on by a drunk driver. She had on her seatbelt.  She suffered an open fracture of her upper leg and a closed fracture of that same lower leg and will spend months in rehab. Without the belts, she would probably have been killed. A lot of intrusion into the passenger compartment.
    Yes, it is the law, but some people just do not get it!.  Jack

[compedgemarine]

Mythbusters did do a similar test. they did one with a car and a bowling ball on the package tray along with other items to see what would happen in a quick stop. if I recall on slowing down there was not much activity but in a case of stopping the car like it had hit something I think the bowling ball went through the windshield. I dont know if there is a way of finding that episode but it may be on their website. as far as seatbelts, in years of running offshore race boats we always wore a 5 point harness in the canopy boats and I know that more than keeping you held down it allowed you to concentrate on driving the boat instead of trying to keep yourself in place. personally after that I dont go anywhere without a selt belt.

[Dreamscape]

SAFETY SHOULD BE ON EVERYONES MIND.....ALL THE TIME....

It just make sense! I for one would like to be around a long time and enjoy all life has to offer! Premature death is just that, when you could have taken more walks holding hands, saying I Love You and giving your life more meaning, touching other loved ones lives.

For those that abuse the reason for being safe is just plain senseless.....It just saddens me....

Paul

[DMoedave]

I am a little sad on my daily seatbelt use but getting better. Almost always wear one in the coach after the Jim Stone accident. Jim was one funny guy! I only met him once and was stunned the next year when Bill and Jack told us what had happened. It seems to be a common occurrence with buses. It happened just last week on Long Island when a charter bus driver somehow got on a Parkway (no trucks or commercial vehicles on parkways, low bridges!) hit a guardrail and got thrown thru the windshield and killed. There was a thread about the force on pedestal bolts in a wreck (measured in the thousand of pounds) just the other day. You cant have anything loose in your coach! If your cavalier about safety, think about how much it will cost to replace the windshields!!!!

[captain ron]

The only real furniture I have loose in my bus is my futon and file cabinet. There are a few other tings loose in the cabin but not furniture, hopefully all of that stuff will be used up or gotten rid of soon. The furniture will all be pretty permanent when I'm done with my bus. I have more movement from side to side than back to front.

[JackConrad]

I have more movement from side to side than back to front.
The problem is not what happens during normal driving, but what will happen in a rapid deceleration.  Although no one plans to be in an accident, s&*t happens.
  Wearing a seatbelt everytime we get in a vehicle is probably more difficult for many of us because we grew up when there were no seat belts.  It took me many years, but when I sarted riding on the rescue and saw the results of un-restrained passengers in accidents, it certainly helped remind me to buckle up. Jack

[jjrbus]

After working as a RR engineer and seeing many accidents. I came to the conclusion that we clean up accidents too quickly in this country. Most people suffer from a false sense of invincibility,the superman syndrome.
Then we are lulled into a false sense of security (denial) by the quick removal of the aftermath of the tragedy.
If there were a pile of wrecked cars at RR Xings there might be less wrecks. The same would hold true of auto accidents.
If you race a train to a crossing WE WIN ALL TIES!!!!!!!!!!

[RJ]

Train vs car = car vs soda can.   

Drive defesively, secure the loose stuff, wear your seat belt, and don't argue with trains. . .

[kyle4501]

. . . we clean up accidents too quickly in this country. Most people suffer from a false sense of invincibility,the superman syndrome.
Then we are lulled into a false sense of security (denial) by the quick removal of the aftermath of the tragedy.

You are on to something there! Some can't understand something until they see it - & some must experience it first.

Locally, the coroner started painting crosses on the road where fatalaties had occurred. Amazing to me how many were showing up!