Man dies in 4wd roll-over accident

I have been wearing a seat belt, as have most of my family since an incident with an uncle of mine in, from memory, 1959. He was stuck in almost stationary traffic going through Gosford on the Pacific Highway in the Christmas holidays. With airconditioning unheard of he collapsed from the heat and the car hit a roadside pole at less than 10mph. He, his wife and a 20 y.o. niece in the front seat were all quite badly injured, and it was clear to everyone that seat belts (which were in the news at the time as the result of the SMA data being published) would have prevented any injuries. Over the next few years most family members fitted seat belts to their cars.

John

My partner works as a theatre nurse. She used to a lot of cardiovascular work at one time. She used to say that seat belts caused serious injuries such as detached aorta's and the like and she used to refuse to wear hers saying that that caused more damage than good. That was when I pointed out to her that those people that she used to work on were the ones that got out alive albeit hurt. The ones that survived well she would never meet. Also the ones that were killed in the accident would bypass her and go straight to the morgue. After thinking a bit more about this and being introduced to spectating motor sports on the telly, I think she now understands how effective they really are at preventing our soft, fragile little bodies from being torn apart by Mr G force.

I too have had a serieous accident where I had a head on in a Series3 with a Mitsubishi Triton. 4 tonne of metal collided at a combined speed of 120kmh. The Triton's front end was ripped off. The Landy ended up laying on its passenger side. All occupants of both vehicles walked away. The only injury being the broken elbow I received. I was hung up in my seat belt. It was far easier to undo the seat belt, than it was to climb out the drivers side window with 1 elbow:D

I know from experience that they work. Motorsport doesn't use them because they are trendy. Just watch the old films of the open top cars racing in the 30's. I cringe when I see the accidents that they used to have.

Seatbelt debate has gone for a while now so I thought I would join in.
Yes they save lives. Yes I use mine off road.
I have been in quite a few serious accidents.
100kmh into a tree (Steering arm broke)
car crushed by articulated bus 50kmh (Lucky it was the passenger side and I was the only occupant.
los of control and spin at an estimated (Police told me that) 120km/h. This was spinning over embankments.
T boned a car when both travelling at 80kmh
Been T boned at 60kmh (Other vehicle estimated to be doing 100.
I have walked away from all accidents.
The only major injuries was concusion from the bus incident but it took 2 days to kick in properly. The others just left things like bruising.

I have had friends who have had some horiffic accidents. One their father fell asleep at the wheel and veered into the path of an oncomming semi. Engine found a 400 hundred meters away from the impact site. 2 occupants killed instantly friend broke her back as she had the lap sash belt. Other two walked away from the seen.

There are many more like the last one.
Seatbelt might restrict you but you will be glad you wore it the time it saves your life.

Had a friend years ago when working at a minesite in Leonora, got as drunk as one night, jumped into his old Holden and decided to take a short cut on a road which ended in the pit!
He braked hard just before he hit the pile of rock placed in the way of those wanting to commit suicide by going over the edge of the pit, but still ended up hitting it hard at about (he thought) 30kph.
End result was one badly broken nose, badly bruised chest and his face was swollen, cut and bruised from hitting the windscreen 'cos he wasn't wearing his seatbelt.
The steering wheel was bent right round and the windscreen had a huge dent the same size as his head.
Only relatively slow speed but showed what would happen when hitting the wheel/windscreen because of not wearing the seat belt.
I think he even received a bit of "counselling" by the local coppers for his stupidity, but didn't get a ticket for anything.
Lucky lad to have not lost his life and a very sore one for a few weeks.
Alan.

A little something just popped into my head.

Rear seat passengers. If the rear seat passengers do not wear seat this can be fatal for the driver too even he/she is wearing a belt.

When a vehicle gets slowed down really quickly such as by hitting something the rear passengers a thrown forwards and upwards. They have a natural tendancy to hit the roof lining and slide forwards into the back of the noggins of the front seat passengers literally banging heads together. This is not good and is a bloody good reason for being a seat belt nazi and making sure that everyone belts up. You're not just saving their lives but you could actually be saving your own.

Seat belts are a very very good idea....

I was invloved in an accident where someone drove into the drivers door of a Defender I was driving at 45mph at an angle of about 45degrees (I was doing about 30mph). It bloody hurt but I walked away. almost completley unhurt. Cars didnt get off so lightly. Golf that hit me had the engine pushed back into the passenger compartment and the 2 things that saved his life were the fact his car was LHD and he was wearing a seat belt.

Defender rear axle was taken off. He came through the drivers door, then underneath...

Another bad one I know of involved my brother in a works Van. A driver who was over the drink drive limit pulled out directly in front of him when he was doing 60mph (100kph) His van luckily was a car derived one as opposed to a forward control one and had both airbags and a cargo barrier.

The Van was destroyed. Roof bent, sills bent etc ... his toolboxes came forward and smashed into the barrier, breaking it free and smashing it into the back of the seat, pushing the whole lot including him into the dash. Luckily the airbag deployed and he walked away. The impact was so big that the rear doors opened if I remember correctly...

moron who casued the accident was unhurt.

Brother had some minor injuries and in all honesty was incredibly luckily not to have been seriously hurt. Road was closed for about 4 hours and there were 2 fire engines and about 10 police cars.

If you dont wear seatbelts you are plain and simply putting your life at risk. Its not big or clever.

Bit like people who ride bicycles without a helmet.

I dont feel safe driving without a belt, or riding without a helmet.

Rgds
Pete

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Originally Posted by George130

Seatbelt debate has gone for a while now so I thought I would join in.
Yes they save lives. Yes I use mine off road.
I have been in quite a few serious accidents.
........

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Edd,
I'm not sure how long you have been driving - I've been driving, I suspect, a bit longer than you - had a licence for 49 years and been driving for almost another ten, including an awful lot of off road and long distance country driving, plus fifteen years commuting in Melbourne and a couple of years in Sydney, plus a significant amount of third world driving - always doing more than the Australian annual average - and I have never had a serious accident (but had some near misses!). Have I just been lucky compared to you?

John

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Originally Posted by JDNSW

Edd,
I'm not sure how long you have been driving - I've been driving, I suspect, a bit longer than you - had a licence for 49 years and been driving for almost another ten, including an awful lot of off road and long distance country driving, plus fifteen years commuting in Melbourne and a couple of years in Sydney, plus a significant amount of third world driving - always doing more than the Australian annual average - and I have never had a serious accident (but had some near misses!). Have I just been lucky compared to you?

John

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No I had a stupid youth and bad luck. The bus was bad luck and the t bone I was teaching a friend to drive with just poor timing. The others were us being bulet proof teens.
I used to be part of the fast car scene when I was young. We would build cars up just for specific events even.

i wear the belt all the time only time i dont is when we are out shooting sort of gets in the way when trying to get to out of a vehicle in a hurry particulary at night with a loaded firearm

luckily havent been in a bad accident
i could see they could be a problem in a car fire :wasntme: