Putting seatbelt on as you drive

[NorthantsNewbie]

Currently sitting on my drive with a sleeping baby, people watching to pass the time. I reckon maybe 75% of people leaving their houses are putting their seatbelts on as they drive down the road.

Does it really save that much time? I’m an anxious driver at the best of times and can’t imagine the faff of buckling up whilst driving, quite apart from the legal/safety aspect, but it would appear I’m in the minority where I live.

My car literally won’t take off the automatic handbrake if I don’t have the drivers seatbelt buckled. Makes sense as a safety feature but very annoying if I only need to pull the car forward a few inches!

Hope you’re not too bored - I think I’ve lost weeks of my life nap trapped on my driveway!

Depends on the speed of the road you are pulling out onto really. A fast busy road, no, as you might immediately be hit by a car travelling quickly. A slow road/quiet road/carpark, yes, as a collision isn't going to have serious consequences.

I frequently put my seatbelt on with my left hand whilst driving with my right. It's not because I'm in a rush particularly, it's just efficient to multitask in life generally. I also do other things with one hand whilst driving, like turn up the radio volume, drink water. I think it is normal for competent drivers to be able to steer with one hand briefly.

Drinking water is not really comparable to securing a life saving safety device. I can multitask too but I wouldn't if it could jeopardise my safety.

It will take people longer to read an MN post than to put on their seatbelt before setting off.

What else arent they doing? Checking for pedestrians for example?

No, obviously I wasn't comparing them in terms of safety. I was responding to OP's point that she found it a faff buckling up at the same time as driving. Doing other things whilst driving is normal.

It's also not unsafe to put your belt on whilst pulling away IF it's a really quiet slow road.

It is a quiet, slow road - 30mph but no through road so most people are slowing to turn into a driveway. I suppose that does make a difference to safety.

I’m capable of driving one handed whilst having a drink/sorting the AC etc - but a seatbelt feels different for some reason?

As I was leaving a meeting yesterday I saw one of my colleagues putting his seatbelt on as he drove away.

Hes a funny guy, I like him but I just thought 'God, that's such a man thing to do!' I think DH does it sometimes, but not always. I can't believe it saves any time at all, but us older people can remember a time when seatbelts weren't compulsory so we have some excuse.

@TonTonMacoute interesting - it was mainly the older drivers who were doing it as they drove. But most people in the village are on the older side so I felt it wasn’t a very fair comparison point.

I always make a point of telling my toddler that everyone needs a seatbelt on in the car. Pretty sure she wouldn’t stop going on about it if I tried to drive off without mine on!

Putting your seatbelt on AFTER starting to drive is unsafe.

I put my seatbelt on before I start the engine. It's just my routine. My parents wouldn't start the car till everyone was strapped in, and now I do the same! I can't imagine it saves any significant amount of time, and while the chance of it saving your life in those few seconds is slim, it's one less distraction when pulling out into the road.

As an ex diesel car driver I got into the habit of fastening my seatbelt while waiting for the glow plug light to go out. This has stuck and I do find it odd that some people set off and then put their seatbelt on. Looks very fiddly and just why? If you know you're going to put it on, put it on before you start the car.

I suggest that apart from anything else if you are putting your belt on while driving you are not in proper control of the car.

People are lazy and complacent when it comes to driving. Yes, what you do might be absolutely fine in "normal driving conditions", but the issue is, you ALWAYS need to be prepared for the unexpected. What if a child runs out as you're backing out, and you don't notice because you're glancing at your belt?

People get into such bad habits. It's not a problem - until it is.

Mine does that too! Generally I put my seatbelt on before I go. It's really annoying though if I decide to jump back in to straighten the car or pull forward / back a bit in a parking space....it won't work unless I put the seatbelt on.

Most of the time I buckle up before I even put the key in the ignition but I have been known to start driving/reversing before putting it on, mainly in a car park if I reverse out a space

I always think those people must think they are living in some kind of action movie life where they are on some crazy urgent mission that they can't possibly delay to put a seat belt on before they start moving; and and of course they are fully skilled at driving one handed. They are so important in this film in their head.

It's that or they're just twats. How hard is it to get in, click the belt in then move. I am not a faffer in life by any means, but I don't think my time on this planet has been significantly affected by the time it's taken me to belt up first.

My mother used to root around for her keys in her handbag so when we got home I could jump out and run in to open the garage door. It saved about 5 seconds and drove me up the wall.

You can lower the risk of a collision by not being distracted fucking about putting your seatbelt on while you drive though.

Nice to know I haven’t lost the plot entirely. I was genuinely doubting myself this morning!

I forget to put on my seat belt and my car starts pinging as I'm driving off so I often put it on then. It's just absent mindedness.

Yes, you’d think that would be blindingly obvious.

My dad used to do this. I think he probably couldn’t check his blind spot properly if he was plugged in. But then he would drive all over the place when he was trying to put the seat belt on whilst driving.

That’s worrying that you need something to remind you before you manage to out it on. What else do you forget when driving? Scary stuff

Not really. I have done at least as much driving off the public roads as on them, and off the public roads there is no requirement to put on a seat belt.

Plus when I was a child cars didn't even have seat belts at the back, so it wasn't something I was brought up to think of as normal.

It’s not any less worrying that you need to be reminded to put a seatbelt on when you are driving after you adding this information. The mere fact you can’t see it and jump to defend it is telling though. All I see is yet another person who is so entitled they think the rules don’t apply to them ‘because’. It’s not that hard to think, is it?