OPPO PSA: Wear Your Seatbelt

"Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy" (camshaft-chris)
02/08/2017 at 09:45 • Filed to: PSA, Seat belt, Accident, Fatality

Let me rephrase that. WEAR YOUR FUCKING SEAT BELT. Warning: Description of this may be slightly graphic.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

The truck, for whatever reason, left the highway at full speed; no indication of braking whatsoever. Full-speed into a tree. The cab separated from the truck and ended up about 20 feet away on the frontage road, back behind the EMTs on the right side of the second pic. The driver survived, but the passenger did not. He had no seat belt on and was ejected. Miraculously, no other vehicle was involved.

I came up on the scene within 30 seconds of it happening or so. People from a car ahead of me were already performing CPR on the passenger and continued to do so until EMS arrived. EMS attempted to resuscitate the guy, but it was unsuccessful. It’s the most useless feeling in the world having to stand by and just watch someone die. I never want to come across something like this again and pray none of you will have to either. Or worse, be the person laying in the ditch. So again, I say to you Oppo, WEAR YOUR FUCKING SEATBELT.

DISCUSSION (27)

TheRealBicycleBuck > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
02/08/2017 at 10:20

My uncle, the police officer, likes to tell this tale. He was called out to work an accident at a rural highway intersection. There was nothing but fields as far as the eye could see. One car ran the stop sign, clipping another. One of the cars landed upside down in the adjacent ditch. When they pulled the injured man out of the car, he kept saying something about someone else being in the car. They looked everywhere, but couldn’t find anyone.

The man was loaded into the ambulance and the tow truck got to work. When the car was flipped upright, they found the passenger. He had been thrown from the car and the car landed on top of him. Despite being under the car, he was still alive. Recent rains had turned the dirt to mud and the weight of the car just squished the poor guy down into it.

Crisis averted! Well, not quite.

The guy was covered from head to toe by fire ants.

Although a nice bright red, fire ants do not get their name from their color. Their sting feels like a hot needle being jammed under your skin. Yeah, it hurts. A sting or two is tolerable. Stings from head to toe are not. The poor fellow died from all of the stings.

People, please wear your seat belts.

Takuro Spirit > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
02/08/2017 at 10:25

It makes me SO MAD to hear people in this day and age, especially YOUNGER people, who say that not wearing a seatbelt is safer, and the don’t trust airbags, and think that being thrown clear from the car is safer than staying in it, properly restrained.

Gene pool. You. OUT.

HammerheadFistpunch > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
02/08/2017 at 10:57

Just a heads up that the first image posted will always be the image shown. The black bar doesn’t hide it. If you need to post a picture after the jump you’ll need a safety image

Stapleface > TheRealBicycleBuck
02/08/2017 at 11:01

Damn, that’s a hell of a fucked up way to go.

TheHondaBro > TheRealBicycleBuck
02/08/2017 at 11:09

That sounds straight out of a horror movie. Shit.

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > HammerheadFistpunch
02/08/2017 at 11:10

Luckily nothing graphic in the lead image. Also he did say it in the description that it was Graphic description.

HammerheadFistpunch > OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars
02/08/2017 at 11:14

i know, but I think he was trying to hide the top image under a black bar as the text suggested. I just wanted to make sure he understood that if he did need to hide something the black bar, much like the goggles, do nothing.

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > HammerheadFistpunch
02/08/2017 at 11:18

Gotcha. I didn’t even see a black bar/or mentioned. Party on kinja.

For Sweden > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
02/08/2017 at 11:21

But my uncle told me wearing my seatbelt would make it harder to escape the scene of the accident.

(wear your seatbelt everyone)

XJDano > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
02/08/2017 at 12:23

Was it a cab over? I drove them from time to time and having a 5x7 piece of glass as the only thing in front of you will make you wear it. I always belt up nowadays.

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > HammerheadFistpunch
02/08/2017 at 12:56

I was not aware of that. Thanks for the heads up. I put it in there though as a break for the text so it worked out fine this time.

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > TheRealBicycleBuck
02/08/2017 at 12:59

Jesus Christ, death by fire ant stings while trapped under a car??? That’s a horrendous way to go. I wouldn’t wish something that terrible on my worst enemies. I sure hope the person was unconscious and didn’t have to suffer through that.

HammerheadFistpunch > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
02/08/2017 at 13:01

cool. Like I said, just so as you know if you need to in the future.

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > Takuro Spirit
02/08/2017 at 13:05

Strangely enough, the people I notice not wearing seat belts are older. This guy for instance looked like he was in his mid 30s or so. And whenever I ride somewhere with my dad who’s in his mid 50s, I’m always having to remind him to put his seat belt on.

On the flip side, I’m 27 and won’t put the car in gear until every last person is completely buckled in. Those horrible pictures from fatal crashes they showed us in Drivers Ed really scared the shit outta me.

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > XJDano
02/08/2017 at 13:06

Yep. Cab-over Isuzu.

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > For Sweden
02/08/2017 at 13:08

You can’t get away quickly if your body is laying in a mangled heap 20ft. from the car.

osucycler > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
02/08/2017 at 13:12

http://www.newson6.com/story/34430421/stillwater-man-killed-on-highway-51

Just happened near where I live. Another article states they “found him at 7:13 am” but were unsure when the wrecked happened and how long he was pinned. Wear your seat belt!

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > HammerheadFistpunch
02/08/2017 at 13:23

Much appreciated!

ateamfan42 > Takuro Spirit
02/08/2017 at 13:30

and the don’t trust airbags

Well many people understandably don’t trust airbags these days for a different reason. Fuck Takata.

I do believe that correctly functioning airbags, when used properly with a seat belt, do have some benefits. Though I can’t say I’ve experienced one deploying-- that still sounds scary as hell.

Takuro Spirit > ateamfan42
02/08/2017 at 13:38

Well so long as they’re had the recall done, or don’t need it....

I’ve had ONE go off in my face. It was the passenger bag. If anything, the seatbelt pretensioner tightening the belt across my waist hurt more than anything. The airbag didn’t even knock my glasses off.

And that was in a 2001 Focus.

ateamfan42 > Takuro Spirit
02/08/2017 at 14:01

Well so long as they’re had the recall done, or don’t need it....

What about those folks that need the recall, but have no parts available?

My car was in the first batch of models announced for the recall. It took nearly two years before replacement parts were announced to be available. By that time I had sold the car.

I’ve heard that some of the older airbags were a bit more violent than then modern ones. (I’m talking properly functioning ones here, not explodey Takata units.) Though I expect the seatbelt tensioning correctly probably had a lot to do with the airbag being so “gentle”. The safety systems work best when all the parts of the system are used together as intended.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
02/08/2017 at 14:09

Thatwould be my wish for him too. There’s a good chance he was out. He was thrown from the car, then trapped underneath with the weight of it on him and I would assume a restricted air supply. There’s a reason they didn’t hear him screaming for help. I’m guessing he wasn’t.

Takuro Spirit > ateamfan42
02/08/2017 at 14:12

Yeah pre-1998 where everything was Single Stage Blow Up As Hard As Fucking Possible those hurt, I guess. Since the Focus was an 01, and it was a glancing blow, I’m sure we got the “softer” stage. Now airbags are multi-stage and sometimes don’t even go off in a major crash.

I feel for the people being shafted by the recall for months or years, but the manufacturers DO have a clause: If you feel unsafe driving it until parts are available you can either bitch at them to give you a part faster, if available, or they have to put you in a loaner/rental until your car is fixed.

ateamfan42 > Takuro Spirit
02/08/2017 at 14:43

Are all the manufacturers offering alternative transportation? I heard BMW had done that for some customers, but I think some of the OEMs are telling people to just wait.

Takuro Spirit > ateamfan42
02/08/2017 at 14:59

I only know the specifics for the ones I work for, but I’m sure its the same across the board. It should state right in the recall notice that if you don’t feel safe, you can park it at the dealer and get a loaner.

ranwhenparked > Takuro Spirit
02/08/2017 at 23:17

Isn’t not trusting airbags all the more reason to wear a seatbelt?

Pixel > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
02/17/2017 at 09:34

I was good about it anyway, but the thing that really hammered home wearing a seatbelt was wandering junkyards and seeing the cars with round dents in the windshield punched outwards. Some with hair & blood visible.

I figured wrecking my car would suck, wrecking my face at the same time would just compound the bad day.