Click It or Ticket

[weim hunter]

They've been doing the same campaign in SC for years.

[vatreefarmer]

IMO, if you opt to not wear a helmet while motorcycling, I do think it should come with some sort of waiver of liability. I mean I get it, the fun of a MC is feeling the wind through your hair and the sunshine on your face. But without a helmet, a slight fender fender can go from a scuffed bike to a significant head trauma. Then you are no longer opting to put your own health at risk, you are also placing a huge liability claim on the other driver. Even if no one was at fault. I'm fine with you enjoying your bike, but not when it places me with a $$$,$$$,$$$$ burden to keep you on a ventilator because I had a broken taillight.

[brushsjigs]

Is this new for you? They have done this in Indiana for years.

WE have one state trooper that drives on 931 all day just writing seat belt tickets. Thats the only thing he does.

[Cnthinkoname]

Who am I hurting or causing some form of injustice if I choose not to wear my seatbelt??

Me, I'd rather not see your dead body in my ambulance. More importantly, society.

Data from the North Carolina Trauma Registry were analyzed to determine the effect of seat belt usage on outcome in motor vehicle accidents. Of 6237 persons involved in motor vehicle accidents, data on seat belt usage were available for 3396. Of these, 1916 were not and 1480 were wearing seat belts. The mean hospital charge in belted patients was $10,500 +/- $18,200; and in unbelted patients, $15,250 +/- $26,300 (p < 0.001). The total hospital charges were $23 million for the 1508 patients not wearing seat belts. If the unbelted patients had outcomes similar to belted patients, the charges resulting from caring for the 1508 patients would have been $15.8 million, a potential savings of $7.2 million. There were 135 deaths among the unbelted patients (7.0%) and 47 deaths among the belted patients (3.2%) (p < 0.001). A similar projection of belted outcome for unbelted patients suggests that seat belt usage could have reduced the unbelted mortality rate by over one half. Patients wearing seat belts also had significantly shorter hospital stays, fewer days in the intensive care unit, and fewer days on the ventilator (p < 0.001). Seat belt usage is associated with a significant decrease in mortality rate, hospital charges, length of stay, intensive care unit stay, and ventilator requirements. Seat belts could have saved at least 74 lives and 7.2 million dollars during the period from October 1, 1987 to July 1, 1989 in patients seen in the seven trauma centers in North Carolina.

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1242750/

[Roosterman]

Me, I'd rather not see your dead body in my ambulance. More importantly, society.

Data from the North Carolina Trauma Registry were analyzed to determine the effect of seat belt usage on outcome in motor vehicle accidents. Of 6237 persons involved in motor vehicle accidents, data on seat belt usage were available for 3396. Of these, 1916 were not and 1480 were wearing seat belts. The mean hospital charge in belted patients was $10,500 +/- $18,200; and in unbelted patients, $15,250 +/- $26,300 (p < 0.001). The total hospital charges were $23 million for the 1508 patients not wearing seat belts. If the unbelted patients had outcomes similar to belted patients, the charges resulting from caring for the 1508 patients would have been $15.8 million, a potential savings of $7.2 million. There were 135 deaths among the unbelted patients (7.0%) and 47 deaths among the belted patients (3.2%) (p < 0.001). A similar projection of belted outcome for unbelted patients suggests that seat belt usage could have reduced the unbelted mortality rate by over one half. Patients wearing seat belts also had significantly shorter hospital stays, fewer days in the intensive care unit, and fewer days on the ventilator (p < 0.001). Seat belt usage is associated with a significant decrease in mortality rate, hospital charges, length of stay, intensive care unit stay, and ventilator requirements. Seat belts could have saved at least 74 lives and 7.2 million dollars during the period from October 1, 1987 to July 1, 1989 in patients seen in the seven trauma centers in North Carolina.

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1242750/

[RazorCat]

I like it. Considering the huge number of cell phone addicted distracted drivers on the road these days I can’t imagine not wearing mine. Simple. Wear one, or pay. With your wallet, and not your life. Seatbelts save lives.
And I’ve seen firsthand what happens a motorcyclist hits the pavement at highway speeds when not wearing a helmet. I had to stop and render assistance to a guy OEM day after he hit a deer on his Harley at 70+ MPH. I don’t think I would have had to pull the skin back over his skull and compress his wound for 20 minutes until EMS arrived if he’d have been wearing a helmet.
They should be required in all states. At least on highways.

[ziggen]

I don't care if a motorcyclist doesn't want to wear a helmet, but if you're in a car and have a seat-belt, wear it. In an accident a person without a seat-belt on can easily become a dangerous projectile. If you don't care about preserving your own life, fin, but I don't want you coming through my windshield endangering mine. Still, not a big fan of roadside check-points.

[dlewis10]

Well, if it's all about statistics and $$$, then maybe laws should lower the speed limits to 40-45 MPH. I'm sure there is plenty of statistics to prove that less accidents happen at much slower speeds, and less money is spent if an accident occurs at 45 mph.

I'm not against wearing seatbelts, I always wear mine. Everyone SHOULD wear one when in a car. Speed and reckless driving causes major accidents, not lack of wearing a seatbelt.

[FrayedKnot]

Glad to hear they are out there doing the checks.

We see them every now and there around here. More often they are sitting at intersections where there is something to stand behind and look as people are pulling up. You do not realize they are there until its to late. Catch people on their cell phones and without seat belts.

HA! We have a state trooper in our area that will sit right in the middle of a roundabout high on the apex with natural grass on the center mound. When you come around the circle you come face to face with him with a tenth of a second lead time.

[Cape Fear]

They have had a ticket and click it campaign here for as many years as I can remember. They started that when seat belts became mandatory. I don't have a problem with it.

[jbassman87]

Seat belt laws are less about safety and all about money. It was said before, you start with the insurance companies and then go from there.

[Cnthinkoname]

Well, if it's all about statistics and $$$, then maybe laws should lower the speed limits to 40-45 MPH. I'm sure there is plenty of statistics to prove that less accidents happen at much slower speeds, and less money is spent if an accident occurs at 45 mph.

I'm not against wearing seatbelts, I alays wear mine. Everyone SHOULD wear one when in a car.

And for that I thank you. I agree that statistics don't always paint the whole picture and are often flawed. I guess my main point was that there are often "hidden" costs of actions/inactions and there's seldom a "crime" that solely affects the individual committing it.

[Mark Perry]

Seat belt laws are less about safety and all about money. It was said before, you start with the insurance companies and then go from there.

Seeing the effectiveness of seatbelts at the street level for almost 20yrs now has proven to me that safety is a big factor in trying to get people to comply.

I cannot find one decent argument from anyone that supports not wearing them. Simply put it's just not logical to not wear one.

[wildturkey]

I wear mine. Was a passenger once and hit head on. Even with the seatbelt on my head made it to the windshield and busted it. Had I not had seatbelt I probably would have went through. Wear them, it may be you next.

[Z-91]

Seatbelts and life jackets to me are if you are behind the wheel or in the boat put it on.

[M1RT]

Yes, valid point. However I am firmly against laws being created to protect people from themselves. I am an adult who is perfectly capable of making a decision for myself either to wear or not wear a seatbelt. And yes, i do wear my seatbelt at all times.

Back to my point - Who am I hurting or causing some form of injustice if I choose not to wear my seatbelt?? And here in PA, motorcyclists are free to ride without a helmet. Somewhat of a contradiction if you ask me. It makes no logical sense to have a seatbelt law, and allow motorcyclists to ride without a helmet.

Good point, to an extent. While I'm all for limited government, less regulations, more personal freedoms, etc.; the reality is that an unbelted occupant becomes a projectile, which can and will injure other occupants within the vehicle.

[jbassman87]

Seeing the effectiveness of seatbelts at the street level for almost 20yrs now has proven to me that safety is a big factor in trying to get people to comply.

I cannot find one decent argument from anyone that supports not wearing them. Simply put it's just not logical to not wear one.

There is no doubt they do save lives.

[dlewis10]

Good point, to an extent. While I'm all for limited government, less regulations, more personal freedoms, etc.; the reality is that an unbelted occupant becomes a projectile, which can and will injure other occupants within the vehicle.

So will we then ban motorcycles on the road? Or are we going to strap riders to their cycles. But then the cycle itself can be a projectile...All good points by everyone. Im not butt hurt or offended by everyones stance. I still feel if we want safer roadways, people need to SLOW DOWN. Or law enforcement can more strictly target speeding more than they do.

[bschwoep]

Objects in motion tend to stay in motion. Physics doesn't take any prisoners, the seat belt keeps you from staying in motion when your goes from 60 to 0 mph in 0.5 seconds. Your body is going to stop one way or the other in accident, a seat belt is much safer at accomplishing the task than whatever solid object you hit after you fly through the windshield.

[LgMouthGambler]

Alls I got to say, that if you dont wear your seatbelt, you ar just plain stupid. They save lives, it saved mine.