[Neurorad]

At work at the hospital today. Lots of patients coming in to the trauma center. Injuries would be minimal if they just wore their seatbelts.

Seatbelt -> broken leg, broken arm

No seatbelt -> ejection from car with severe head injury, innumerable extremity injuries, broken pelvis, cervical spine fractures. Or dead.

Always wear your f*cking seatbelt. It's the difference between ejection and no ejection, live or die.

I can't give specifics on the most recent patient that prompted this post, but I can say that make sure that at least your children are buckled in.

[335I talian Stallion NJ]

Originally Posted by Neurorad

At work at the hospital today. Lots of patients coming in to the trauma center. Injuries would be minimal if they just wore their seatbelts.

Seatbelt -> broken leg, broken arm

No seatbelt -> ejection from car with severe head injury, innumerable extremity injuries, broken pelvis, cervical spine fractures. Or dead.

Always wear your f*cking seatbelt. It's the difference between ejection and no ejection, live or die.

I can't give specifics on the most recent patient that prompted this post, but I can say that make sure that at least your children are buckled in.

I couldn't agree more... I see so many brain injuries and spinal cord injuries at my hospital from not wearing seatbelts, it makes me sick... a few broken ribs is worth saving you from having severe neurological injuries/becoming paralyzed/or death

[turbocoins]

In today's day and age, it is hard to ignore the benefits of seat belts. Those who don't wear them have decided that the risk to themselves and society (who is forced care of them, many of whom are uninsured) is outweighed by the 2 seconds and minimal effort it takes to properly secure the seatbelt. It's a stupid decision to not wear the seatbelt.

We need posts like this every now and then to remind us.

[DanMardik]

agreed.

[krafty04]

Great post.

My brother was on I-95 going through constuction, 3am in the morning, upstate NY, running 120ish. Three drunk buddies passed out in car, he was DD driving his A4.

Raining, dark, cruising, three lanes, down to two, down to one. Passing over a bridge came upon a van parked. First look, he thought the van was in the cones, took foot off gas to make sure. Second look, the van was sticking out 4 feet into his lane. THe guy later stated he thought he was inside the cones and safe to change his tire.

Brother started to hit the brakes, wet road, ABS pumping, said he put his drivers mirror as close as he could to the bridge concrete rail. BAM>.. hit the van estimated at 95-105 (realistically that is the slowest he could have been going, maybe higher). Hit full size van on jack and all airbags were deployed, seatbelt tensioners yanked in... dust, smoke, and finally came to a stop. All 4 undid their seatbelts, got out of the "totaled" car and walked away. All 4 had black and blue seatbelt stripe across chest and waist and ears that rang for two days. But they walked away. I wear mine every-time. My kids get thiers on before me.

[MadDog]

Originally Posted by Neurorad

At work at the hospital today. Lots of patients coming in to the trauma center. Injuries would be minimal if they just wore their seatbelts.

Seatbelt -> broken leg, broken arm

No seatbelt -> ejection from car with severe head injury, innumerable extremity injuries, broken pelvis, cervical spine fractures. Or dead.

Always wear your f*cking seatbelt. It's the difference between ejection and no ejection, live or die.

I can't give specifics on the most recent patient that prompted this post, but I can say that make sure that at least your children are buckled in.

[JackMac]

Absolutely yes.

Been wearing it from day 1 of having a driver's license (before it was the law).

[E90Fleet]

I refuse to drive till everyone has their belts on, especially the rear passengers.

Most people here think you dont need to put on the rear belts, which is totally wrong



A little fact not everyone knows about the E90/E91 :
The rear seatbelts also have pre-tensioners

[dhmilosr]

A friend in my office tells the story of his sister who was driving her car in the parking lot at 5 mph and hit someone who backed up out of their parking space. She refused to wear seatbelts saying that they caused wrinkles on her dress. Her head hit the windshield but her body kept going snapping her neck and making her paralyzed from the neck down. The reason this story sticks with me is due to the low speed nature of the crash and the incredible injury it caused.

Concerning the general issue of wearing seatbelts, this may be one of the last ways that natural selection can influence human genetics.

[esbezee92]

i dont know about most people but i feel naked if i drive without one, i guess its a good habit to have

[snareman]

Originally Posted by Neurorad

I can't give specifics on the most recent patient that prompted this post, but I can say that make sure that at least your children are buckled in.

You can just so long as you don't mention their name. Then you aren't violating HIPAA at all.

I work in a trauma center as well and see all sorts of horriffic stuff. They brought the one guy's boots in with his feet still in them (neither the feet nor his boots were attached to his legs btw). I definitely agree with the seatbelts thing. Motorcycles are even worse though - especially those that ride them with cut off jean shorts and a tank top (and of course no helmut).

Although, with the latest round of BMW's you can't not wear a seatbelt, less you be subjected to that incessant chime until you put it on. I agree though, I feel a little naked without it.

[E90330iS]

Thanks for the reminder! *buckles up*

[LEDZEP]

Originally Posted by Neurorad

At work at the hospital today. Lots of patients coming in to the trauma center. Injuries would be minimal if they just wore their seatbelts.

Seatbelt -> broken leg, broken arm

No seatbelt -> ejection from car with severe head injury, innumerable extremity injuries, broken pelvis, cervical spine fractures. Or dead.

Always wear your f*cking seatbelt. It's the difference between ejection and no ejection, live or die.

I can't give specifics on the most recent patient that prompted this post, but I can say that make sure that at least your children are buckled in.

Unless of course you just work "down the street", in which case you shouldn't wear it and you should gripe about the warning chime.

I cannot even back out of the garage without my seatbelt fastened. It's engrained in me since childhood.

[KJFlood]

wow, and here I thought I was the lone "UNCOOL" guy still.
Glad to see so many DO wear the belt...I have been on to many scenes where folks have NOT worn them...and more than a few were less than 1 mile from home.
Lol, the seat belt warning bell....just think of it as the Reaper asking to come in...
I'll take a ass kicker bruise , broken ribs etc over DEAD . If I am dead I can't enjoy the NEW BMW insurance will buy me

[drkeng]

Gotta give another vote for seatbelts.
I see some trauma now, but saw a ton in my 10 years at a western suburb trauma center (with helicopter) and have quite a collection of broken necks and head trauma (neurorad, too). Recently had a great case of atlanto-occipital dissociation (that's when your head dislocates from your neck--patient survived just long enough to get CT scans, then expired, as expected); will try to find the images in our PACS and try to post. You could post x-rays/CT without violating HIPAA as long as there's no name.

With all of the anti-smoking movements and smoking bans, why do we stand for drunk driving??? You could probably decrease the number of drunk drivers with a few key checkpoints on Saturday night and REALLY stiff penalties. I kinda don't get it.

[krafty04]

Over here in Azores, the BAC limit is .05 and checkpoints every weekend night. Keep in mind beer is cheaper than water also and everyone drinks, heavy, but no accidents, no DUI's, no problems. It's all about the mind-set and being responsible.

[RiXst3r]

seat belts are for pussies!

Get a 5-point harness...

[Snowkone]

Completely agree! Proven that seatbelts save lives. The same should go for motorcycle riders and helmets.... last I checked, my head is software than the ground

[Revlis]

I have a friend who was always steadfastly refusing to buckle up. Saw it as some sort of threat to his personal freedoms or some shit.

SO one day, I'M doing the driving, we load up and I ask him to buckle up. He refuses, I shut the car off. He Got all pissed tried to discuss it with me, argue with me, "Explain his Position" he he he... I just sat there staring out the windows, never said another damn thing.

Finally, after I had smoked about 2 cigarettes and was just staring out the windows looking around. Prolly about 10min or so I heard a "click". Without hesitation, we were off like a shot! Never came up again, never was discussed. But damnit, if you're in my car you're wearing a seatbelt. Simple.

It's just stupidity, vanity, and fashion that leads folks to believe that they don't need to buckle up for short trips, or that they "wear the belts out on the highway" blah blah blah. Same stupid rhetoric that has been disproved repeatedly over the decades. In the Motorcycle world you find the same idiots beating the No-Helmets war drums... just plain stupidity.

Ah well, Hopefully Darwin gets the right ones and does the gene pool a favor.

[BmwOwnsMe]

This car with its annoying seat belt chime used to really piss me off. That's because I never used to wear my seat belt before. Now I always have my seatbelt on and feel naked without it on. Maybe I'm growing out of my "invincable" stage. Who knows?

[BmwOwnsMe]

Originally Posted by Revlis

I have a friend who was always steadfastly refusing to buckle up. Saw it as some sort of threat to his personal freedoms or some shit.

SO one day, I'M doing the driving, we load up and I ask him to buckle up. He refuses, I shut the car off. He Got all pissed tried to discuss it with me, argue with me, "Explain his Position" he he he... I just sat there staring out the windows, never said another damn thing.

Finally, after I had smoked about 2 cigarettes and was just staring out the windows looking around. Prolly about 10min or so I heard a "click". Without hesitation, we were off like a shot! Never came up again, never was discussed. But damnit, if you're in my car you're wearing a seatbelt. Simple.

It's just stupidity, vanity, and fashion that leads folks to believe that they don't need to buckle up for short trips, or that they "wear the belts out on the highway" blah blah blah. Same stupid rhetoric that has been disproved repeatedly over the decades. In the Motorcycle world you find the same idiots beating the No-Helmets war drums... just plain stupidity.

Ah well, Hopefully Darwin gets the right ones and does the gene pool a favor.

After reading this, I have one question. You smoked in your car??? That is definately a no no.

[jetblk328i]

yea the good thing is that BMW forces us to put them on with that annoying chime, thanks BMW, you coulda saved my life. BTW what are these pretensioners you speak of?