"Okay now I REALLY understand why carseats are important!"

I forgot this funny story from our trip to Vegas a couple weekends ago.

It was me and the kids and their Dad driving down there. I ALWAYS drive.. control freak. Usually their Dad wears his seatbelt when I am driving (my no accidents that were my fault record must make him nervous?? Lol.) but he always has to be reminded to wear his seatbelt. The kids take care of that now that they are forward facing though so I've quit worrying about it.

Anyway, we were out on the 75MPH roads and I was doing 80MPH. We were passing semis (which were going about as fast, I couldn't believe it.) When I saw two semis way ahead slow down and pull off the side of the road. There was no reason why the semis behind them even needed to slow down because they were totally off the road, so I continued passing them.

The next thing I knew AS I was passing a semi it changed lanes into my lane (two lane highway). I had to slam on the brakes because it was a soft shoulder and I didn't have room to pass him before he hit me. I went from 80 to 60 really fast and the next thing I knew their Dad was hitting the dashboard!

Now I realize this isn't funny but really it was...because he was asleep... lol. Apparently he had taken off his seatbelt to do something and the kids were asleep so they didn't remind him to put it back on. Then he fell asleep.

His knees left two dents in my Dad's dashboard and they were horribly bruised. He was literally airborn... LOL. I KNOW this isn't funny but you should have seen it. He DENTED the dashboard! I have often thought of mounting a camera to have a real life crash test if I was ever in an accident, and THAT would have been CLASSIC!

I lectured him and said, can you imagine what would have happened if I hadn't seen him coming and he had hit us??? THIS is why you wear your seatbelt! THIS is why carseats are important and THIS is why having the harness as tight as possible is important. He looked back at the kids who slept through it and said "Okay I've always known carseats were important but now I REALLY understand!"

And, he put on his seatbelt the second we got in the truck for the rest of the trip. And when he didn't, I checked and reached over and smacked him upside the head.

(Really it WAS funny, I promise... picture sleeping guy flying through the air and waking up in mid air just before he hits dashboard. Plus it taught him he needs to wear his seatbelt.) It also amazed me how much a 160 pound dude flies just from slowing down, much less an accident. So it convinced me even further.

That is all. (He laughs about it too by the way. I'm not THAT mean.)

It's funny because nothing serious happened. And you have to laugh, if just from the relief that that's all it was. Seriously, I don't understand how people can be so carefree (careless?) aboout seatbelts. It took me about a year to train the husband to wear his, but now it's habit for him too. Yay!

OK, that really was funny! I just sprayed my computer screen!

It was a really good wake up call! "Hello, You are HURTLEING down the highway at 80 mph not sitting on the sofa in your living room!"

Wow! I hope he wakes up at night thinking that he could be dead. Hopefully it'll be habit for him soon and other's won't have to keep reminding him still?

In most states its a law that if there is someone pulled over on the side, be it a cop or just a regular vehicle you are supposed to move over. Most cars don't follow this rule and that's why cops get run over on the highways. Most truckers blink twice and then they move over regardless of who's on the other side of them because if they were to hit someone they would be at fault.