To not understand why people don't wear seatbelts

[QueenSconetta]

I just don't get why you wouldn't, yet so many people seem not to.

Also people who drive away then steer with their knees while they put their belt on. My DP is one if these.

Er learning what do you mean adjust driving accordingly? You should still drive carefully with a seatbelt.

Besides, if an idiot not wearing a seat belt is thrown out of the car onto the road, it may affect me as I may well swerve to avoid hitting that said idiot and have an accident myself.

In a head to head collision he/she may well crash onto the windscreen of my car thereby killing my passenger.

:)

Well obviously I drive responsibly at all times ;) but my only experience of driving without seatbelts is in our old car and its a very different driving experience! And because of the lack of seatbelts you are much more aware of the cars and your vulnerability.

You have to take into account that the brakes (whilst still legal) are no where near as responsive as modern cars - so where you would start slowing/braking at say for an example before a junction in the classic car you need to allow atleast treble that, if not more. Emergency stops are also more difficult to execute because of the brakes so your awareness is heightened more than normal in avoiding situations. Bearing in mind we are frequently overtaken by cyclists so not talking huge speeds here.

Also the swing for turning is totally different on our car so you have to position the car really accurately for turning as its hard to correct and there is no power steering. Also there is no petrol gauge so you have to be vigilant about listening to the engine for signs its running low.

That's just some of the more obvious differences I can think of at the moment. Interestingly there is no glass in the windows as its perspex (?sp)

Needless to say we don't puttle far in it!

Perhaps on reflection its more that you are more aware of things that in a modern car you only think about subconsciously and automatically. In the old car I can hear myself "thinking" more than when I am driving my normal car.

Mrs G is right, up to a point. The safer you make a particular environment, the more risks people take in it. So yes, people who are wearing a seatbelt or are ensconced in an armour-plated car drive more dangerously. But it does seem to be true only up to a point. The number of road deaths per annum has been falling steadily for years and we now have one of the lowest road traffic mortality rates in Europe.

Seatbelts give a false sense of security, so drivers take more risks. So conversly drivers not wearing them don't and take more care with their driving. This was investigated before seatbelts were made compulsory, they did consider whether they should be compulsory only for the passengers.

Utterly daft argument in my opinion.

If we took your argument to its' logical extension - maybe we should drive around with a massive metal spike sticking out of the dashboard inches from the drivers eye in order to make them take less risks when braking. Or do away with airbags, crumple zones and impact beams. Because if we were all placed in a situation that was utterly packed with unessential danger ...they'd be no accidents. Right?

Also you've not factored in things outside the driver's control, like the actions of other road users and pedestrians.

It is not a daft argument, it is psycological so you aren't even aware of it. It is the same as the music on the radio alters drivers' behaviour.

I agree adding safety features to cars are great as they help when an accident occurs, but more should be done to improve driving standards which would prevent accidents.

it is psycological so you aren't even aware of it

Can you present a single shred of evidence to back this up? If you wear a seatbelt you WILL have a better chance of surviving a crash, above double in fact.

Even if your theory is taken at face value it is only a factor for accidents where driver error is the cause (as opposed to mechanical failure, pedestrians stepping in front of a car, other drivers etc)

"What a very self righteous bunch you are! If you want to wear one do, if you don't then don't."

Erm. It is actually against the law not to wear one.

I don't think I take any more risks just because I wear a seat belt. I drive up and down thw M1 regularly and have seen enough crashes to bring the message home that driving safely at all times is important.