[miharbe]

Thank You Rehaan for a wonderful writeup. I immediately sent this to my father (who "forgets" to buckle up) and cousin (who doesnt want to ruin his ironed clothes). Lets hope this write up will do what i havent been able to do so.

Another excuse I can think that people use while not buckling up is "I have to travel a very short distance so what is the need of doing so."

I strongly feel all occupants should buckle up at all times. As of today its the only safety feature standard on all cars across segments and price points!

[Pancham]

There is one thing I love in my car (i20 ASTA). The irritating alarm that starts beeping if the front passengers do not wear seat belts and the car crosses 20 KMPH. I feel this should be there in every car.

I wear it everytime. It has become a habit now. Get in and unconsciously pull the belt from behind BUT the co-passengers are arrogant. They won't budge. Listening to their "Uffffff" is the most common thing I come across but then comes my i-catcher(my car) into play. He makes sure that every time there is a front passenger he/she should buckle up and off goes the alarm.

Hence I feel an irritating alarm should be there to bug passengers. I was shocked to see some bhpians discussing how to shut this alarm off in their cars. God save them.

P.S: Another thing I noticed was when car accessory shops put on seat covers (even the posh leather ones) they some how manage to tuck the rear seat belt points(the red object where you insert the clip). This is atrocious. I mean they take it for granted that the owner will never use the seat belts. There was this situation where a former friend was driving very rashly with the city and I was in the back seat shouting at him to slow down and I was scared, very scared. I tried to buckle up. I pulled the belt but could not find the red point to put it into. It was neatly tucked into the seats.

Bottomline: Buckle Up.

"A few seconds buckling up can save you the many many days in a hospital"

[Sprucegoose]

I know people who don't wear their seat belts because it de-activates the SRS airbags and will save them money incase of a small fender bender...

I always wear my seat belt.. even in taxis

[Sheel]

In all honesty, it will take a couple of years before even 50% of (motor-able) population in India start wearing seat-belts.

This basically boils down to the fact that an accident cannot happen with me (attitude) and that a 4 wheeler is safe & small accidents won't do harm & no one drives fast enough to warrant a seat-belt. Few think they are invincible as well, but that is a different topic.

I do not want the people to learn the hard way, but no way in the world would they take to wearing seat-belts. Want examples? How many big shot politicos, film stars, cricket stars & corporates you spot buckled up? In small places, how many District Magistrates, SP's, Judges and others are buckled up while moving? When this how the responsible citizens move, what impression would it have on the aam junta?

I had shot an e-mail to the regional editor of HT regarding this & he didn't even respond to my mail.

I am glad & thankful to my immediate family members who upon insistence from me have started wearing seat-belts. One or two close friends too abide when I am driving & that is it. My business associate won't & I know despite whatever I try, he won't. Now to teach him, I can't really get the Car involved in an accident, can I?

My wife is yet to get a ride on the CBR. Though I have spare DOT approved lid, I don't have any other gear.

Few think a seat belt would be required if you crash at over 150kmph. Who knows whether Yamraj would be taking you for a stroll till eternity in the heavenly abode?

Originally Posted by Pancham

P.S: Another thing I noticed was when car accessory shops put on seat covers (even the posh leather ones) they some how manage to tuck the rear seat belt points(the red object where you insert the clip). This is atrocious. I mean they take it for granted that the owner will never use the seat belts.

The same was done when I got 'em installed. I had to put the points back to their places.

And they were indeed puzzled when I questioned as to why they did so.

[arunphilip]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

"But I’m sitting at the back."

Rear passengers are generally safer without seat belts, since the soft seat-back of the front seats helps cushion the impact of a low-speed crash. However, higher speeds will multiply the force and therefore, the potential for injury in the same situation. The center passenger at the rear is especially vulnerable, as they don't have a seat ahead of them, and are likely to get thrown straight into (and sometimes through) the windshield. It’s always a good practice to wear seat belts at the rear, ESPECIALLY when on the highway. Another advantage of wearing belts at the rear is that it can keep passengers from being thrown out of the window during a roll-over (something that happens more often than you’d believe). Personally, I take every opportunity I get to buckle up on the rear seat, regardless of the driving speeds.

I find this picture very useful in driving home the point of all passengers wearing seat belts:

This Polo had 4 people in it when it drove into a bus in July 2012 in Coonoor (TN). 2 died, 2 critically injured (not sure if they pulled through). If you see the front seats, you'll notice they're broken from the sheer force of the rear passengers being launched forward at the time of impact. The passenger cell was not severely breached, but the non-usage of seatbelts had fatal consequences.

[Warwithwheels]

Thanks a ton for the amazing compilation Rehaan!

Wearing seat belts has become a natural instinct for me. It has grown on me so much that sometimes even while taking the car outta my compound I tend to buckle up.

However, It is really sad to note that many a times, the Government that has a stern Helmet rule in the state hands out a step motherly treatment when it comes to the seat belt rule.

BTW... found this interesting bit on the problems unique to growing Children and seat belts:





Credits: http://www.iihs.org/research/topics/...s/default.html

[Hayek]

Rehaan, fantastic thread. I started wearing seat belts in 1998 when a close friend was saved after his Esteem turned turtle on the old Bombay Poona road - he live to tell the tale only because of the seat belts. A couple of years later, another close friend survived when the mini van he was travelling rolled over in Muscat. He was wearing a seat belt despite being in the rear seat and survived. Wearing a seat belt is a clear "no regrets" move - the downside to wearing it is negligible and the potential upside is enormous. In fact, once you are used to wearing a seat belt even in the rear seat, you feel naked without it.

The sad thing is that most hired cars and taxis do not have usable seat belts in the rear. Even Meru cabs in Bombay, which automatically remind us to wear our seat belt, usually do not have working belts in the rear.

If you ever wonder if seat belts are needed in the rear seat, just go back to one of the first accidents on the Bandra Worli sea link - where the taxi driver survived a head on collision but his passenger in the rear seat died.

Can we also have a thread on the dangers of high speeds. There are too many people who fail to realise how dangerous high speeds are, and think that driving at 140 or 160 on Indian roads is something to boast about. A simple measure - a crash at 140 kmph involves 4x the deceleration as a crash at 70 and 16x one at 35. Even with belts, crumple zones and air bags, a high speed crash is very difficult to survive.

[SDP]

Thanks Rehaan for the fantastic thread!

Some brilliant examples cited from our own forum and the videos make the point amply clear.

As far as I am concerned, I insist that everybody (including one of my kids in the rear center) buckle up. This is strictly non-negotiable and I don't start driving till everybody has complied. Got my parents to wear the seatbelts by insisting repeatedly. When my Mom put the diagonal portion behind her back once, as it was hurting her neck, explained her the consequences and gave her a hanky to tie to the seatbelt around the shoulder/neck portion. My sister gets chauffeured around in the back seat of her Figo. When I joined her once, realized that the belt-endpoints are gone under the seat. Brought it to her notice. Next time I checked, the rear seat belts were proper and she was wearing the seatbelt. My family no longer messes with me on this point.


The following is one of the best compilation of seatbelt safety related ads:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFX9kQweHZ4

Seatbelt safety ads are generally hard-hitting (pun intended). I especially liked the following ones:
1. "Even Dummies wear belts" (This could be a TBHP sticker)
2. "Heaven can wait, Belt Up"
3. "Belt up, or suffer the pain"
4. The one which shows the force-equivalents faced during a crash (e.g. being hit in the face by a hammer)
5. The one which shows the other type of belts one needs to wear for their life if they forget to wear the seatbelt.

[saket77]

Rehaan, this is a great post. I fail to understand that when we use all equipment of the car like the stereo, AC, Heater just for our comfort & entertainment, why should we ignore the most important aspect- Safety?

Also, as stated by many members, I actually feel uncomfortable when I am NOT wearing the seat-belts. I don't mind people looking at me as an alien wearing a seat belt driving around in the city, but if I don't care for my life, who else will?
Also, I make it a point that my rear seat passengers wear their seat belts too on the highways.

I use a small trick to ensure that they belt themselves. I stop the vehicle, get down and open the rear doors and say to my passengers that I will help you buckling that seat belt. So, the 'smart' ones buckle themselves to 'show' that they know how to belt them! The ones who genuinely need help, I belt them myself.

Regards.

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by Binzone

One of my close relatives used to argue with me that, since she presses the brake hard and clasps the steering tightly in case of emergencies, there is no risk of her head hitting the wind shield!

Unfortunately some of these concepts are hard to believe in without a good grasp of physics. As a result, "experiencing it" is one way to get the point across. You could push this person out of a 1st floor window with a steering wheel in their hand - with one foot sticking out forwards? Just kidding. There are some low-speed "seat belt simulators" that help get the point across, though unfortunately none i know of in the country:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...KMRkZRqE#t=28s

Originally Posted by Sprucegoose

I know people who don't wear their seat belts because it de-activates the SRS airbags and will save them money incase of a small fender bender...

As they say, "Indians will pay a 100 bucks extra just to get Rs. 50 off".

Originally Posted by Sheel

...When this how the responsible citizens move, what impression would it have on the aam junta?

I think it would be great to have a LAW stating that any Indian film that shows a scene shot in a car MUST show the actors wearing their seat belts (ideally including the clicking-in shot). There's a huge potential to influence the aam junta here. If most Indians see a stupid SRK hairstyle and copy it, or a Salman dance move and replicate it while walking down the street, imagine the change this could bring.

Originally Posted by Hayek

Can we also have a thread on the dangers of high speeds. There are too many people who fail to realise how dangerous high speeds are, and think that driving at 140 or 160 on Indian roads is something to boast about. A simple measure - a crash at 140 kmph involves 4x the deceleration as a crash at 70 and 16x one at 35. Even with belts, crumple zones and air bags, a high speed crash is very difficult to survive.

Super idea. I'm rather uncomfortable at high speeds, no matter how safe the car or the road is, simply because of these exponential increases in forces, braking, and damage.

Originally Posted by saket77

I belt them myself.

So basically : "Belt up, or get belted!"

cya
R

[saket77]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

So basically : "Belt up, or get belted!"

Good one!

if that's the other option, people may not forget to 'belt themselves'...by the seat belts of course!

[scopriobharath]

Question to the Non-TBHP / uninformed Segment:

Q: Should a pregnant woman wear a seatbelt?
Answer: No. That will squeeze the stomach. It is not advised in India.

Q2: Why do we need to wear seat belt
A: To avoid fine from Police

Trust me - this is the answer i get from most people who interact with me.

Pregnant woman is a pregnant woman, whether she is an Indian or German or Martian.

A similar incident happened to me and its because of seat belts, my wife and kid are safe. I have a healthy kid and my wife had a completely normal Vaginal delivery.

The Meru Plus taxi in which i was travelling rear-ended a Xylo and it was because of seat belts, wife and kid(was in the womb at that time). are 100% safe.

the first Question that the doctor asked us (asked twice) was whether the stomach hit the dash-board or not. When i said No, My wife was declared safe and normal.

Appeal to everyone: Please make your loved ones wear the seat belt even if they are pregnant. Seat belt in no way hampers pregnancy or delivery. There is so much study done in foreign countries and then a law is passed that pregnant women must wear seaet belts. Please do not take Indian law as a baseline especially w.r.t Seat belts.

Dont wear Seat belts to avoid police. Wear it for your own safety.

Detailed Article below: Note: This happened in one of Mumbai's most reputed taxi operators.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post2937030

Off Topic: Tab Cab drivers are taught how to drive with Pregnant women on board. This is not a marketting talk, but i know this after speaking to various tab cab drivers.

[Samridh]

Rehaan!! I remember you asking me, "were you buckled up?". I was quite startled at the question, as I said (to myself), "obviously" I was. As a matter of principle, I would always wear my seat belt (before the accident) but, surprisingly, I don't remember ever looking at my passengers and ensuring if they were wearing one. They were more often than not, my loved ones. It was very callous and irresposible on my part (then). Now when I notice it is so common for people to avoid this basic step of safety, I fully understand the rationale for your question. I was plainly stupid in misreading the context of your question - Sorry.

But my accident made me realize what these belts are capable of. I was at 30-40 and the vehicle that collided me head on was - at least - doing 90. So the relative speed was at least 120kms/hr. I saved my self ANY internal injury even though I took over an year just to call myself as living in 'one piece'.

To share with the readers what a seat belt is capable of I am recapitualting what i saw/felt - a day after my first surgery, I realized my chest was paining a lot. To check what was wrong, I asked my father to help me get rid of the huge gown that the hospital had given me (even that was a major task). After a lot of effort, I managed to get it off and to my surprise a 6-7 inch black (not blue, not purple) mark was running symetrically from my right collar bone to my left oblique. This was a blood clot (called "neel" in hindi) which gave me a clear idea of the G-forces that were appplied on me two days ago. The seat belt distributed all the G-forces across the volume of my chest and no single body part had to absorb all of that. If I was not tied up that day, I would have 'certainly' crashed into the wind shield head-on cracking my skull and/or breaking my neck.

The recovery was tough, long, frustrating and more. But what mattered most is, that Samridh is not reffered to as "WAS". He "IS"!!

Please wear a seat belt, it costs less than a Da Milano and saves you the trouble of saying, Mar raha hun, Bacha lo ("I am dying, save me")!!

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by Samridh

Rehaan!! I remember you asking me, "were you buckled up?". I was quite startled at the question, as I said (to myself), "obviously" I was.

Hi Samridh,

I was pretty sure you were buckled up!!

However, I still asked you the question for two reasons. One: I needed your quote for this article (at the time it was still a concept in my mind)

Two: I found it strange that there was no mention of seat belts in your opening posts, (but i guess you expecting this as the default behaviour explains it) and wanted others reading to know that you were in fact buckled up, and it wasn't just a miracle

Cheers,
R

[Samridh]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

I needed your quote for this article (at the time it was still a concept in my mind)

Hahahaha!! That was super clever, you managed to elicit a confession from a lawyer!! Thank goodness, I decided to do corporate law and not criminal, I would have been admitting all that my clients' guilts that they never wanted me to!!