[bblost]

Originally Posted by simplyself

I braked at about 80 kmph. No one hit the windshield.

Did you brake and collide with something at 80kmph?

You are a very lucky guy.

Originally Posted by simplyself

It is freakish. When hit from behind in a stationary car, I thought one would be thrown back harshly.

Even with seat belt, one can hit steering.

Hit from behind. Then you go hit the car in front with the momentum you have gained.

[voodoochild]

Originally Posted by simplyself

So, while educating users on the uses of seat belts, one need not raise a storm if one finds others not using them.

Simplyself, there are some incidents mentioned here that prove that seatbelts can save your life at walking speeds. There are other incidents we may know that show the seatbelt as absolutely inconsequential. Now, while we obviously DO NOT need to raise a hue and cry when someone else doesn't wear one, we also need not say they are useless either. Its not a question of how fast one is driving. There are various other dynamics at play when a collision occurs.

A crash might be unavoidable, but wouldn't you rest just a little easier if you were strapped in? Whether or not you believe it, do it anyway. It MIGHT JUST help someday.


Cheers,
Rahul

PS: When braking from 80kph to 20, would you also take off the seatbelt since its not necessary anymore?

[Recompose]

Originally Posted by simplyself

I braked at about 80 kmph. No one hit the windshield.

The point is not about braking at 80 kmph. Its about stopping that suddenly. I really do not mean to go all pedantic, but Newton's second law tells us that decreasing the time of the collision will increase the impact force by the same factor. Its not the speeding that kills, but the stopping does.

Originally Posted by simplyself

It is freakish. When hit from behind in a stationary car, I thought one would be thrown back harshly.

Technically you're getting pushed from behind, which would make a stationary body by making it go forward. Also if your brakes are engaged, you move towards the steering wheel/dashboard even faster.

[BinFord]

Dear All

As a Newbie this is my first quote in TEAM-BHP.

However I was eager to narrate this to team-bhp members a s how reckless a man can be at this age. The story hold like this. Few days back I was coming back from Railway station after seeing off my bro-in-law at Trivandrum. It was early in the morning at around 7 Am and I was with my Wife and Daughter. We were driving sedately at around 60-70 KMph and road was less crowded due to the early morning traffic. Then I saw an Maruthi Estilo in front of me and driving at around 50-60 KMph. As normal I thought of overtake him and go away as it was a straight stretch of road and anybody will do that .When I was about to overtake him he suddenly started increasing his speed .Soon both the cars were going in parallel and my wife started panicking and asked me to slow down. But I did not have a way-out as I have seen vehicles behind me and on the side as well. If I slow down definitely someone will rear end me or I will make someone to go off the road and cause a mishap. Then I did not have no option other than press the pedal and overtake him at any cost. I pressed my pedal and reached almost 90-100 KMS and managed to overtake him and by God’s grace the moment we crossed him and took the left side of the road a KSRTC VOLVO passed our car and it was a thin line between me and the bus.

All my BP raised high and I have slowed down and stopped my car and thought of giving a kick to this Estilo guy. He had also stopped behind me he did not have a way out to overtake and pass me. The moment I was about to get down from my car I had a quick glance through my rear view mirror thinking the driver might some “young bloods” who were looking for an early morning bash with his wheels. To my surprise I saw a very old man behind the wheels of Estilo. He must be in his 60’s or 70’s and apart from this he is carrying 2 kids(must be his grand children’s) and that too without wearing a seat belt. Confused on this as he was almost near the age of my Grandparent I thought of let him go. From his face I understood he was expecting me to come out and have some “good words” .But respecting his age I left him without saying a word. But I was talking to my wife on the way back as how reckless and irresponsible people can be at times.

By God’ grace all went right on that day. My question is what will be the result if I couldn't able to overtake him at that moment?


Mods please move thread to relevant post if this does not belongs to here.

[KiloAlpha]

Originally Posted by simplyself

To put it quite frankly, wearing seat belts in city speeds is not necessary. While it is a safety feature, too much emphasis is being laid on it.

I have said this before, let me re-iterate.

OK, so lets say 30kmph is a slow "grandpa" speed to drive in the city and, in your opinion, safe enough not to wear seatbelts. If you crash into something at that speed, your car will come to a near instantaneous stop. You will continue forward and hit the steering wheel/windshield at the same 30kmph.

Usain Bolt's peak sprinting speed is a shade over 40kmph. 100m sprint in 10 seconds is 36.6kmph.

So, let us do this experiment. I will fix a steering wheel to a wall at chest level. Sprint as hard as you can, and run into it. Think you'll survive? Go ask a doctor in an emergency room.

[suhaas307]

Forget speeds like 30 km/h and 20 km/h. Seat belts will save you even when you're parked or still. In the event of a rear-end collision, I'm sure the occupants will be thrown forward at some point. A seat-belt will hold you in place. This speed-seat-belt related argument is as pointless and irrelevant as the non-requirement of ABS in lesser-powered cars.

Note From Team-BHP Support Staff: Please stick to the topic.

[mango_pal]

Some scary stuff here.

I generally watch out for the following:
- Drivers constantly tapping their brakes. It's a hallmark of uncertain driving. I tend to avoid them and never take chances with them. They have no control over their own vehicle, god alone know what can happen to me and my car.
- Braking at the apex of a turn at speed. Need I explain this?
- Parents keeping their toddlers and young ones in the front seat without seat belts. Or on their spouse's lap, also without seat belts. I feel sorry for the kid.
- Driving with rear view mirrors closed.
- No indication while changing lanes/ turning off.
- Constant weaving. (The penalty for weaving is death. Not that I will that on anybody)
- Incessant honking and trying to take "pangaas" with everyone. I say, "go go, I've got better things in life to do)
- Brake lights not working. Most scary at night or during the rains.
- Changing lanes, without even looking in the rear view mirror! Haha, some people are just comical. This is one instance where I can get a little pissed off. Especially if it's on the highway and I'm close behind.
- Not moving out of the fast lane on an open highway. (I hate overtaking from the left), but sometimes it's got to be done. I dislike tailgating even more.
- Tailgating!

Surprisingly, I've seen a lot of cars with Team-BHP stickers being driven very badly, incessantly tapping their brakes when there is no need to, changing lanes without indication.
Needless to say, I was very disappointed.
If you have the sticker, your represent this entire forum. The least you can do is drive responsibly and correctly.

[alstonlobo]

This guy would need no emergency rescue if it came to stitching his wounds in case of a mishap!

[swarnava.m]

Originally Posted by evilshantanu

Spotted on Sarjapur road yesterday, a black scorpio (Koramangala Registration) with Team BHP stickers, honking away to glory (his honking would shy away most of the cab drivers). And the icing on the cake, he was so desperate to overtake me, on a narrow road where there is no scope that he got down from the road on my left , cut across and sped away.

Again re-iterating the point, if one cant follow the road etiquette, then I guess he shouldn't be sticking team BHP stickers, with great power comes great responsibility

P.S. I have the registration number of the Scorpio, but not posting here, as this would spark off just another fight.

I suggest that you post the registration number here. If anything, at least that person would feel some shame on being looked down upon by other TBhpians.

Also, if you are worried about there being a fight, I don't think there would be anything of that sort, since literally no one here will take his side if he is driving like this.

On another note, that person might have had some genuine reason for driving like that, like a medical emergency. I remember I once rode my scooter like a maniac in city roads when my mother was hurt in the eye and needed a doctor. At such times, you really don't care about rules and driving etiquette when a close one is in pain.

Maybe if his case was something like that, it will give him a chance to say so and thus get rid of a misconception that everyone here has got about him.

[simplyself]

Originally Posted by voodoochild

PS: When braking from 80kph to 20, would you also take off the seatbelt since its not necessary anymore?

I normally do not use seat belt, so no question of disengaging it. To be frank, I seldom use it. Only time I use it is when I see police stopping and inspecting vehicles.

Having said that, I insist my children wear belts when they sit in the front.

My not wearing seat belt is nothing to do with being being seen as heroic or irreverent or any thing. It is a matter of fact that I feel quite claustrophobic when I wear seat belt and cannot concentrate on driving. And I believe losing concentration is worse than not wearing seat belt.

Also, I seldom travel at more than 100 kmph. And ninety percent of the distance is on highways.

And I maintain that a person need not be pointed out for not wearing a seat belt, be it Saif or Simplyself

Also, front seat passenger gets more affected by the collision. Driver, I believe will have hands on steering wheel which reduces the chances of throwing him/her onward. While it may vary with each incident, driver is relatively less effected. However, it is different when vehicle turns turtle.

The Bolt analogy and the suggested experiment do not stand water. A man in motion hitting some thing is different from a man seated in a moving vehicle, with feet pressed to floor and steering gripped in hands.

The gist of my point is, I repeat, while using seat belt is advised, not wearing it is not such a grave negligence when at city speeds.

As far as speaking from personal experiences, I cannot say any thing; I never had any collision in my 17 years and over 5 lakh kilometres of driving. I prefer not to talk about the experiences of others, pros and cons of wearing/not bearing seat belts in such cases because I do not want to show disrespect.

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by simplyself

My not wearing seat belt is nothing to do with being being seen as heroic or irreverent or any thing. It is a matter of fact that I feel quite claustrophobic when I wear seat belt and cannot concentrate on driving.

Remember this: Seat-belts aren't as confining / claustrophobic as wheelchairs.

[nileshch]

Originally Posted by simplyself

While it may vary with each incident, driver is relatively less effected.

So you are fine with breaking 20 bones instead of maybe 3 bones (if you were wearing a seatbelt). And by this, are you discrediting the tens of years of research done by car manufacturers and independent agencies alike?

Originally Posted by simplyself

As far as speaking from personal experiences, I cannot say any thing; I never had any collision in my 17 years and over 5 lakh kilometres of driving.

This made me recollect a very famous quote --

“When anyone asks me how I can best describe my experience of nearly forty years at sea, I merely say, uneventful… In all my experience, I have never been in any accident… of any sort worth speaking about. I never saw a wreck nor was I ever in any predicament that threatened to end in disaster of any sort...”

- E. J. Smith, captain, RMS Titanic.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by simplyself

To put it quite frankly, wearing seat belts in city speeds is not necessary. .

Utterly wrong. This is just a case of catching up with other parts of the world. If you research, you will find there are very good reasons for wearing a seatbelt, even at crawling speeds, let alone 30kph. Or 20kph. Or 10kph. Walk head-first into a wall and see how it feels: that's 3kph.

Originally Posted by simplyself

I normally do not use seat belt, so no question of disengaging it. To be frank, I seldom use it. Only time I use it is when I see police stopping and inspecting vehicles.

I hope you will do some research and rethink.

Having said that, I insist my children wear belts when they sit in the front.

Not in the back? Did you know that you are in danger of being killed by them?

My not wearing seat belt is nothing to do with being being seen as heroic or irreverent or any thing. It is a matter of fact that I feel quite claustrophobic when I wear seat belt and cannot concentrate on driving. And I believe losing concentration is worse than not wearing seat belt.

Better claustrophobic than dead

Also, I seldom travel at more than 100 kmph. And ninety percent of the distance is on highways.

And I maintain that a person need not be pointed out for not wearing a seat belt, be it Saif or Simplyself

I'm not pointing, so much as hoping that you and others will listen. Not just to me, but to all the stuff out there that tells you that you are wrong.It might save your life.

Also, front seat passenger gets more affected by the collision. Driver, I believe will have hands on steering wheel which reduces the chances of throwing him/her onward. While it may vary with each incident, driver is relatively less effected. However, it is different when vehicle turns turtle.

You really do have a lot to learn: The fact that you are holding on to the steering wheel just increases the chance that you arms and shoulders will be smashed. You really should watch some of those slow-motion accident simulations

A man in motion hitting some thing is different from a man seated in a moving vehicle, with feet pressed to floor and steering gripped in hands.

Ah yes. The feet and legs get smashed too. Quite apart from all the stuff that actually happens in a collision, all the dangers are covered in that dynamic/potential energy stuff we did at school. Oddly, I was discussing this with a NASA physicist a couple of weeks back --- but you don't have to have a PhD to get it. But you do have to be open to information, and learn from it. Apart from law aspects, I learned, point by point, about each of your misunderstandings. I learned, from a bruised forehead, to wear a belt before the law told me I had to. (it was just walking speed: made me think)

The gist of my point is, I repeat, while using seat belt is advised, not wearing it is not such a grave negligence when at city speeds.

The only good thing that can be said about it is that, unless you are in the back seat and kill the person in front of you, the person you're most likely to hurt is you. Well.... it's your face ...head, arms, legs, chest...

As far as speaking from personal experiences, I cannot say any thing; I never had any collision in my 17 years and over 5 lakh kilometres of driving. I prefer not to talk about the experiences of others, pros and cons of wearing/not bearing seat belts in such cases because I do not want to show disrespect.

Respect has to be earned, but best is not disprespect, but learn and encourage others to learn.

No disrespect here, but if you think I'm being blunt --- well, so be it. Please, think this through again.

[bblost]

@Thad E Ginathom

I think you had posted this video long back in a related discussion.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=YDmr14aja9E

Nothing drives home the importance of a seat belt than a visual jolt.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Utterly wrong. This is just a case of catching up with other parts of the world. If you research,....
...
...

No disrespect here, but if you think I'm being blunt --- well, so be it. Please, think this through again.

This is going quite off-topic on this thread, but have to mention this. If someone does not believe in the positives of wearing seatbelt, and actually think that it's common sense not to wear seat belt in slow speeds, nothing much can be done. Anyway, I hope the last few posts (and the video) provide enough food for thought.