2 years ago today i was hit by a drunk driver on the highway, my seatbelt saved my life. I feel the need to take the time to tell others because i feel so many die unnecessarily because they dont use a seatbelt thinking that they dont need one because they are a good driver.. im a great driver, always have been never any accidents. but i always wore my seatbelt even though everyone i know (almost) doesnt wear one, 2 years ago today my actions saved my life when a drunk driver hit me and another car on the highway... during the accident i sustained three herniated discs in my spine, and now cope with lumbar disc disease, sciatica to my left foot and spinal stenosis due to my disc herniations caused by the impact.. although i live in pain almost every day, have gone through multiple epidurals in my lower spine to treat pain and take otc medicine almost every day.. i am so lucky to not be paralyzed, blessed to be alive, and extremely grateful that i did not become a statistic like so many others i know have. today i find my self celebrating life, but also feeling a need to share my story so people will expect the unexpected.. you dont EXPECT a driver on the highway to be drunk, and to hit you from behind and change you forever, or you think it could neverr happen to you. But it can, and for way to many people it will... buckle up, save a life.. your own. <3 just some scary statistics to possibly (hopefully) make you wear your seat belt more (if u dont already), i hope i dont sound motherly, just hoping to help save a life by impacting someones decision, and shed some light on the subject: In a 30 m.p.h. collision an unbelted 160 lb. Person can strike another passenger, crash through a windshield and/or slam into the vehicle's interior with a 4,800 lb. force. Safety belts when used properly reduce the number of serious traffic injuries by 50 percent and fatalities by 60-70 percent. Approximately 35,000 people die in motor vehicle crashes each year. About 50 percent (17,000) of these people could be saved if they wore their safety belts. ( http://www.jmu.edu/safetyplan/vehicle/generaldriver/safetybelt.shtml ) On average someone is killed by a drunk driver every 45 minutes. In 2008, an estimated 11,773 people died in drunk driving related crashesa decline of 9.8 percent from the 13,041 drunk driving related fatalities of 2007. ( http://www.madd.org/Drunk-Driving/Drunk-Driving/Statistics.aspx ) JT
Glad you're okay, and am awed by your perseverance... to many folks nowadays think hope is something useless. Also awesome that you're spreading the word. Mostly you hear the stories about the ones who had they not been wearing the belt would have been okay... this is a good story, with good info. No one rides in our car without a belt... and I nag when I'm in other's vehicles (they don't seem to care much for that lemme tell you) to wear theirs... but stories like this help a lot in spreading the importance.
I am an avid seatbelt nazi. I thank you for posting this, and I give you big HUGS for being thankful for being alive. We need more people like you in this world.
I am also a seat belt Nazi. Whenever we hear about a car crash fatality in the area it invariably boils down to a person being ejected from the vehicle because they weren't wearing their seat belt. But there are those that complain about seat belt laws and how it could be their choice because it is their life that is at stake. Their choice to drive also gives them the responsibility to maintain control of their vehicle and a seat belt will keep the driver behind the wheel in the event of any side forces such as sliding and hitting a curb. Glad that you are ok. I was in an accident back in 82 where I wasn't wearing a seat belt. Young and stupid on my part. I knew I was going to hit the guy and held on for dear life. Steering wheel was mangled from the force of me hitting it. It was a 1 in 1,000,000 chance that I walked away.
My girlfriend is an ICU nurse. They have different codes for "unrestrained driver" as opposed to someone wearing their seatbelt. The non-belted ones are always much worse. Walk through a nursing home sometime. The young people who are not attempted suicides are generally un-belted car accidents. Long..... term..... care.
And put your cell phone in a holder or something!! A flying cell phone can hit a passenger at an incredible rate of speed in a slow speed accident. One woman gave her infant a skull fracture when her cell, sitting between the front two seats hit her infant in the center rear car seat during an accident.
thanks for all the replies and moral support. im glad to hear there are others who do wear thier seatbelts... it brings tears to my eyes and haunting memories when i hear about another local traffic death due to not wearing a seatbelt. Locally just days ago a young 14 year old girl died when her and four other girls were thrown from thier car not wearing seatbelts. I have what in my yard?: thanks for the tip, i usually keep mine in my center console cup holder.. during my accident mine actually went out of the car and broke, thankfully others on the scene had called 911. Jetblack: its disgusting to think how many more people DONT wear a seatbelt than those that do.. i dont understand why. and never will i guess. bakerjw: so sorry to hear about your accident. what you had to say is sadly all to true.. Chickenmaven: thanks for reading and supporting. debiraymond: thanks for the moral support and for wearing a seatbelt. PineappleMamma: thanks for avidly making sure others dont ride in your car unbuckled.. i will never understand why people dont buckle up.. you never know what could happen.
WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE HERE!!! Amazing how such a simple decision can affect one's life...I'm always perplexed how people use the "I'm not going to let the gov't/cops tell ME how to be safe!" argument. It's like Jerry Seinfeld said in a monologue..."Why is it that humans engage in such dangerouse activities that they have to pass laws requiring people to wear helmets to protect their heads?" I like the highway signs in Wisconsin - they say, "Give Yourself a Hug - Buckle Up" . In Ca. it's "Click it or Ticket"
thanks thebritt, glad to see your wearing your seatbelt in your avatar haha! your so right, its amazing how a simple thing can change the outcome of your life.. around here in RI we have signs that sign click it or ticket as well.. or buckle up! its the law.. honestly i think they should aproach it without a gov./police perspective.. maybe, "buckle up!, its your life" or something would do the trick. rather than scaring people with police tickets to wear one with click it or ticket. and buckleup its the law as well prob. has many young teens NOT abiding, considering most of them want to be the most lawbreaking citizens around... im so glad to be alive, i hope going through this all, that i in return can save at least one life through my story.. thanks everyone.
