mowermech wrote: Seat belts save lives.
BUT
Seat belts HAVE killed people, too.
Same for air bags.
your house, your rules, you don't need permission.
good luck.
Explain that to the Cop who pulls you over where seat-belts are mandatory! "Click It, or Ticket!!" Oh well, it's only a $50 fine
That said, I feel that the adults can make their own decision, and like previously mentioned, the size of the rig will be a factor, just like it is on School Buses or City Buses, which don't have seat-belts. Do I wear mine when driving.....100% of the time! Same goes with the front seat passenger, if there is one.
DH Bill / DW Claudia / DD Jenn / DS Chris The Paps! Sophie, Abby, Brandy, Kahlie and Annie
2000 Winnebago "Minnie" 31C, Ford V-10
Purchased April Fools Day, 2008 The Pets
Yes but many states have exemptions on the seat belt law for busses and motorhomes. ANd I have seen the outcome of a number of head on collisions of a Foretravel vs a car. The passengers in the all of the cars (5 to date) all died. The Foretravel owners were older and some were frail had no injuries but 60 plus thousand bucks damage to the coach. Now you say why, it is simple they weigh a huge amount. Now you hit a bridge you will have issues but the guys in the back will be fine the driver or passenger will die. Look at the bus that went over the bridge. The driver died and the front seat passengers and the guy who got thrown out and the bus crushed him. In west Texas there are not that many overpasses that will take you off the road at 65 miles an hour. THis is always a fun thread issue. Also if you roll many units they will break up and the the use of seat belts or not will usually not mean much. Now this is not a brand war but many of the cheaper brands are picked up after they roll with a front end loader and put on a flatbed or in a dumptruck to haul it off the road.
John
2001 42' Foretravel U320
2007 Bornfree 24 Painted
2001 Jeep Wrangler
2007 Burgman 650 Executive
Susie and Dolly (Cavalier King Charles Spaniels)
Dolly now in our hearts and thoughts 8-27-05
Doodle a Black and Tan Cavalier
Lolly a Ruby Cavalier
I don't like seatbelts and don't wear 'em much.
I do buckle up in bad weather or really scary traffic conditions...most of the time.
As for kids, I like 'em buckled up in the car.
In the MH, they keep their seats most of the time..no running around trivially.
Seatbelts when the traffic is heavy or the road is scary.
TexasShadow
Holiday Rambler Endeavor LE/ 3126B Cat
BMW K75 on Rear Carrier
Jeep Grand Cherokee Toad
M&G aux brake system
Datastorm 3990
Always remember you're unique, just like everyone else.
As a trauma spine surgeon in a major city, I see a lot of broken spines. In car accidents, it is almost ALWAYS from someone not wearing their seat belt, or not using the shoulder harness part. The number of people that are ejected is amazing. Because of the mass of a MH, things are going to be a little different, but I plan to have the seatbelt rule there also with brief unbuckles to grab something if traffic is minimal. For those of you that get into an accident in a car/SUV without a seatbelt near Utah..., thanks for contributing to my MH fund!
hohenwald48 wrote: I think you should exercise good judgement. And I see nothing wrong with them getting up for a couple of minutes provided you feel it is safe to do so. However, there is always a chance something could happen. I guess life is just chock full of little chances we have to take sometimes. Besides, even with the seatbelt on you will likely not survive the meteor strike or the 20 rollovers. Buffalo, maybe, depending on how many there are.
I agree, life is full of what if's. Like the man said, if your on a lonely straight stretch with light traffic I don't see a problem.
I do wear my belt in the MH because when crashing it is important to make sure as the driver I stay behind the wheel so I can at least steer until the crash.
As pointed out most MH's are not strong enought to stay together in a roll over so steering to keep your nose pointed down is important when possible.
I will quit wearing the belts when I see all race car drivers do the same.
mowermech wrote: Seat belts save lives.
BUT
Seat belts HAVE killed people, too.
Same for air bags.
your house, your rules, you don't need permission.
good luck.
Rick,
As I kneel beside you for the same reason, I will offer that I always use the belts when driving, as does my wife when in the passenger seat. However, if it's a short trip to the Head or Galley, that's fine when not in heavy traffic or around highway entrances. Unless moving free of high winds, traffic or other instances of reduced safety, I get off the road and stop in a safe location when someone must use the Head or remove the belt(s).
It wasn't always that way but when living in the Middle East for 5 years and seeing the carnage of too many accidents, I became a believer in 2 things;
1. Safety belts/harnesses do save lives.
2. Aggressive/offensive driving is, without question, the best way to handle a car in that part of the world. Defensive driving gets you killed. Under certain conditions, it just doesn't work.
To support the seemingly ridiculous statement of number 2, in the time I was there, everyone I knew, without exception, was involved in some stype of accident at least once a year. Quite a few died from massive injuries. I made it through 5 years without getting so much as a scratch on my car.
Getting back to the point; while not in the same league as those in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, India, South Africa, Egypt, Kuwait, Bahrain or the UAE, American roads can be pretty daunting at times. Unfortunately to the point of reflecting the conditions found in a battle zone or an arcade's Bumper-Car ride.
It's a matter of common sense and 'street-smarts'.
Good fortune with your daughter's condition and know there are others out here with her in our prayers.
crasster wrote: I thought I would start a new thread on this because it's a very important topic that kind of was hijacking another thread I have.
It's the issue of letting your kids unbuckle to go to the bathroom or do a quick task in the RV while you are on the road.
In my opinion, since I grew up the first 18 years without having to wear seat belts, my parents 40 years, and my grandfather is 85 and still does not wear them, it's not the most horrible thing in the world to let your kid go pee while driving down the road and afterwards they buckle back up.
But not just any road. Certainly in the heat of traffic, dangerous terrain, or "uncomfortable roads" there is no potty break.
It's those lonely stretches in West Texas in broad daylight that I'm talking about. The roads are flat, straight and the visibility to a vanishing point. I have no problem if they get up and go potty. Truly, even on normal light traffic highways I'd have no problem.
I guess I just don't live by what if's, but live by what IS.
Sure a tire could blow out flipping us 20 times, a meteor could land, or a buffalo could jump out in front of us, but I just don't see the fear mongering issue of potty on the road.
If I had 1 or 2 kids, non issue, but I have 5. They always seem to have to go potty. I just don't see the point in pulling over on the side of a lonely highway just to let everybody get unbuckled and potty.
What's your opinion? Why? Thanks
BRAVO!!!
2000 Country Coach Allure; Cummins ISC 330 HP; 71/2 - 8 MPG regardless
2002 Jeep Liberty
STEVEDUNN46 wrote: School buses have no seat belts. Do you let your kids ride the bus?
School buses rarely drive 70 mph down I5 surrounded by trucks. MHs do.
I will retract my earlier comment. In areas where traffic is light, which means collision with another vehicle is not likely, I might be tempted to let my passengers walk around to the bathroom or kitchen for a snack.
The probability of encountering light traffic in San Jose are or most anywhere I drive to is not very likely.
Places like New Mexico and Wyoming have less traffic. Therefore, the risks are substantially lower.
I watched as a MH with toad changed lanes on an LA freeway and a trucker was so irritated that he intentionally rammed the side of the toad, jostling the passengers around. LA road rage. Everyone should be wearing a seat belt. Even at 20 mph.
My family was unhurt.
Wayne in San Jose
TV1:2002 Chevy 1500HD 4wd Crew Cab,Valley Odyssey brake ctlr,McKesh mirrors
TV2:2008 GMC 2500HD long bed 4wd Crew Cab,GMC brake ctlr,GMC mirrors
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