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Seatbelt misuse on Wife Swap
- Thread starter azgirl71
- Start date
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azgirl71
CPST Instructor
The first thing I looked for was boosters and then I was that and could not believe it.
azgirl71
CPST Instructor
You risk internal injury just like if you were weraring a lap only belt. Unfortinately, you do not know how severe the injuries could be until it happens. They me minor or they may be so severe they result in death. I say this as someone who personally knows someone who lost a child to a severe seatbelt injury. This is known as seatbely symdrome.
so wearing the belt with the shoulder behing the back is the same as wearing a lap only belt? it makes it harder to convince someone that it's that bad since so many cars still have lapbelts in some positions. I agree it's not safe, I'm just imagining someone arguing with me about this.
azgirl71
CPST Instructor
Yes, the same as a lapbelt. It only restrains at the hips (if it fits correctly and not on the abdomen). A lap shoulder belt will restrain in 3 positons, the shoulder and hips. Unforatenately, there are still vehicles that have them. Manufacturers are requires to have a seatbelt for every seating position and sometimes that means they put a lapbelt.
scatterbunny
New member
Great info on the dangers of wearing only a lapbelt (or putting the shoulderbelt behind the back): http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/lapbelts.aspx
Here's a video of a shoulder belt behind the back.
http://depts.washington.edu/booster/images/video/DRIV754_6yr_lap.mpg
Wendy
http://depts.washington.edu/booster/images/video/DRIV754_6yr_lap.mpg
Wendy
azgirl71
CPST Instructor
Great video video!
NatenMaddiesMommy
Senior Community Member
Let's not forget Britney and her constant wearing of the shoulder belt under her arm (across the abdomen and ribs)...NICE 
Obviously the girl can't figure how to work a car seat, but a seatbelt...seriously
Obviously the girl can't figure how to work a car seat, but a seatbelt...seriously 
Kat_Momof3
New member
Fortunately, 2009 will bring a new rule...all vehicles must have shouderbelts for all seating positions. Of course, Toyota, Honda, and a select few others were doing it a few years ago... and so many more are doing it already in 2008.
scatterbunny
New member
I used to let people ride unbuckled before I knew better. I am very much a libertarian, politically, and I believed every free-thinking adult had the right to choose to be smart enough or dumb enough to buckle up. Every adult has the right to choose to live or die. I always believed in child restraint laws because those stupid adults who don't buckle up shouldn't have the right to make a decision of life or death for their child (IMO, some hardcore libertarians don't believe in child restraint laws, and I have a hard time debating them).
But after coming here and really becoming educated on crash dynamics and the forces involved in a crash (essentially, weight x speed = force) and learning about projectile dangers, I refused to let anyone ride unrestrained in any vehicle with H, dh, or me. I try to explain it to folks simply, using the weight x speed = force formula, saying that I don't want 6000 pounds of my friend's body slamming into me or H if we are in a crash. That is DEADLY force. Heck, a five pound preemie could carry 150 pounds of force in a crash. What about that spare tire?
But after coming here and really becoming educated on crash dynamics and the forces involved in a crash (essentially, weight x speed = force) and learning about projectile dangers, I refused to let anyone ride unrestrained in any vehicle with H, dh, or me. I try to explain it to folks simply, using the weight x speed = force formula, saying that I don't want 6000 pounds of my friend's body slamming into me or H if we are in a crash. That is DEADLY force. Heck, a five pound preemie could carry 150 pounds of force in a crash. What about that spare tire?
I used to let people ride unbuckled before I knew better. I am very much a libertarian, politically, and I believed every free-thinking adult had the right to choose to be smart enough or dumb enough to buckle up. Every adult has the right to choose to live or die. I always believed in child restraint laws because those stupid adults who don't buckle up shouldn't have the right to make a decision of life or death for their child (IMO, some hardcore libertarians don't believe in child restraint laws, and I have a hard time debating them).
But after coming here and really becoming educated on crash dynamics and the forces involved in a crash (essentially, weight x speed = force) and learning about projectile dangers, I refused to let anyone ride unrestrained in any vehicle with H, dh, or me. I try to explain it to folks simply, using the weight x speed = force formula, saying that I don't want 6000 pounds of my friend's body slamming into me or H if we are in a crash. That is DEADLY force. Heck, a five pound preemie could carry 150 pounds of force in a crash. What about that spare tire?
:yeahthat: Yep, now that I know better no one rides unbuckled in my car. Plus, I worry about liability too. If seatbelts are mandatory and I'm the driver then it's my responsability. If I mess up and crash i don't want people dying on me, even if they themselves don't care.
ETA: that Irish seat belt video on Youtube is just great!
StarrNanny
New member
I'd always been a behind the back seatbelt wearer... as a 4'6" adult who long passed the weight limit of any booster on the market, and who really probsbly should still be in one if it were not for the weight limit issue wearing a shoulder belt is not exactly comfortable. I know better now, and I ended up buying this adjuster clip, which i know some people are opposed to but is really my only choice.
as far as my passengers go, they buckle up... or walk. It helps that my car has the most annyoying seatbelt reminder ever, and once it starts it beeps very loudly ever 2 seconds until you buckle up.
as far as my passengers go, they buckle up... or walk. It helps that my car has the most annyoying seatbelt reminder ever, and once it starts it beeps very loudly ever 2 seconds until you buckle up.
That's awesome. It's frustrating to have a 7 pass vehicle that seats 6 safely.
We don't have to wait for 2009 for this.
The requirement for shoulder belts for all rear seating positions in most new vehicles in the U.S. already went into effect for the 2008 model year starting last Sept. :thumbsup:
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brooklynsmommy
Active member
There is a video of a side crash test with the lap belt under the arm. Anyone have the link for this?
Kat_Momof3
New member
We don't have to wait for 2009 for this.
I'd heard the official requirement didn't come until 2009, though.
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