Alive

Photo by wrhowell (cc)BY-SA.

You know how you see those "Click-it or Ticket" signs everywhere, or the "Buckle up. It could save your life" slogans... and you kind of roll your eyes going Yeah yeah, I know...

And you still drive on, seatbelt hanging loosely beside you. It won't happen to me you think. I'm a safe driver, or whatever other excuse you use not to buckle up. C'mon, I know you're out there; I've seen you! Driving around while your kids are climbing all over the backseat... the baby sitting on someone's lap... the dog sitting with his paws on the steering wheel... Seriously - what are you thinking???

Well thankfully, the people who were in the car above weren't like that. They played it safe - and because of it, they're alive today to tell about it. (click on the photo to read their story) You know, wrecks do happen to good drivers through no fault of their own. You never know when someone's going to swerve into oncoming traffic right in front of you... or when something's going to fall off a truck and slam into your windshield... or any number of other scenarios. But when it happens, will you be ready? Will your children be secured? Or will everybody be thrown around the inside of the car like a bunch of rag dolls, possibly even ejected through a solid glass window to land on the median or even be crushed by the car as it rolls over on top of them? It's not inconceivable you know. It happens every day. According to CarAccidents.net, "Car accidents are currently the number one killer of people ages 1 to 37. About 1 in 30 young drivers will be injured in an accident each year. Young drivers are four times more likely to die in car accidents and are much more prone to speed, drive recklessly, not wear their seat belts and drink and drive than middle-aged drivers." And when they're speeding and drinking and driving, don't think they won't encounter you on the road minding your own business, driving along to your mother-in-laws house for dinner... or as you go to work in the morning, you won't meet the exhausted night-shift worker on his way home, who just happened to nod off for a brief moment before drifting directly into your path of travel...

Some more info. from CarAccidents.net:

-About 26% of drivers have been involved in a car crash in the last five years.

-There were 17,419 alcohol-related fatalities in 2002.

-More than half the fatalities reported --59%--were not wearing seatbelts.

-Deaths from rollover crashes totaled 82%.


Meet Shannon's Jeep. Or what's left of it I should say. Looks pretty bad, doesn't it. Wanna know what caused something so horrific-looking? It was this:


A sofa. Not much left of it is there? Fell off the back of a truck... and caused the accident you see above. But guess what? She was wearing her seatbelt. And she's still alive. You can bet those photos wouldn't be telling the same story if she'd not decided to buckle up, like so many other people...

Why all of a sudden did I decide to write about wearing your seatbelt? Did I know any of the people involved in the accidents above? Do I ever *not* buckle my seatbelt? Nope... none of those. Actually, what got me thinking was an email my husband got from the Executive Officer (XO) of his command (SWFPAC). It's being passed around the Naval community and beyond - but it was written by the Commanding Officer of Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, GA. Because, lo and behold, he got into an accident recently. And his car flipped. And he was wearing his seatbelt... and it saved his life. Here's the email (I've left the forwards intact so you can see how it's making its way around the Navy (additional messages in italics, original message in bold):

"-----Original Message-----
From: Armstrong, Thomas CDR
Sent: Wednesday, March 08, 2006 7:23 AM
To: SPB All Civilians; SPB All Military
Subject: FW: SEAT BELTS SAVE LIVES

Pls take a moment and read Captain McKinnon's (CO Subase Kings Bay) email below. It can happen anytime, be safe.

r/

CDR Tom Armstrong
SWFPAC Executive Officer
INVICTUS MANEO

-----Original Message-----
From: Tomlinson, David L CW04 NAVSAFECEN, 41
Sent: Wednesday, March 08, 2006 6:58 AM
Subject: FW: SEAT BELTS SAVE LIVES

FWDing... Happens everyday! Keep alert!

-----Original Message-----
From: Mayer, George E RADM NAVSAFECEN, 00
Sent: Wednesday, March 08, 2006 8:31
To: NRFK_SAFE_All_Hands
Subject: FW: SEAT BELTS SAVE LIVES

All,
Take a couple of minutes to read the email below. Feel free to fwd to your families, friends, and contacts.
R,
RADM Mayer

-----Original Message-----
From: Boensel, Mark S RDML CNRSE
Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2006 16:38
To: Mayer, George E RADM NAVSAFECEN, 00
Cc: Conway, Bob T VADM CNIC; Cohoon, John CAPT CNI HQ
Subject: FW: SEAT BELTS SAVE LIVES

Admiral,
Below just came in from CAPT Mike Mckinnon, CO of NSB Kings Bay - an incredible but true story of part of his day today. Thankfully, he
practiced what we all preach about using our seat belts. Great object lesson on being ready, because you never know what's going to happen.
I'm pretty certain that he doesn't mind me sharing his experience.
V/R, Benz

-----Original Message-----
From: Mckinnon, Mike Capt SUBASE CM
Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2006 15:53
Subject: SEAT BELTS SAVE LIVES


All,

Just want to pass this along. If you think nothing will ever happen to you, think again.

At 12:06 this afternoon I was driving down GA state highway 15 returning from my trip in Athens, GA. What a beautiful day, perfect visibility, perfect road conditions. At this point, the road is two lane (one lane north, one lane south) with the speed limit 55 mph.

I'm minding my own business, driving south about 60 mph, traveling in my Saturn. A white truck, 80s model, is heading north. Less than a tenth of a mile away, the truck runs into his shoulder and overcorrects. He is now in the southbound lane. I'm braking hard (fortunately, the brakesI didn't lock). I'm certainly not moving into his lane because I know that is where he will be trying to go, so I go into the shoulder on my side of the road. Fortunately we pass, but just as that happens, my
car starts spinning in the grass as I was continuing to brake. At this point the cars gets sideways and re-enters the road. Tires just don't work well when the car is traveling perpendicular to the way a tire is
supposed to roll! As a result, the car flips over one to two times and settles on the driver's side over in the northbound shoulder.

I'm alive (getting very sore now) because I had my seat belt on. Remember the video I sent to all of you about the guy who fell asleep and then lost control of the car. As the car rolled he ended in the
back seat partially out of the window....crushed from the car. You've seen it during our safety stand-downs. Everything in my front seat was
in the back seat except me!

Some people say you see your life flash before your eyes when stuff like this happens. I'm confident of what will happen in my afterlife so I didn't see my life play over in fast forward. I just saw that video
being played over in my mind and simply thought, "Lord, I hope the seat belt does the trick!" I'll let you decide if it was answered prayer, the seatbelt or both!

Well, I'm looking at my totaled car at the body shop while my wonderful wife is on the way to pick me up. I know one reason that I'm alive is because I had my seatbelt on. There were no increased risk factors that led to this accident (alcohol, late at night, tired, excessive speed, car in poor condition, etc.). It just happened.....sometimes bad things
happen without explanation. I'd like to think that because I walk the talk with what we've preached to you day-in, day-out, about driving safety, I'm walking away from this accident today.

Folks that stopped thought this was going to be real ugly....they were amazed....no cuts, no problem walking.....many told me that they thought I'd be dead....that I was lucky to be alive.

I have much to be thankful for!

Skipper

PS - the guy in the truck who ran me off the road didn't stop....the two folks behind me who saw it happen did and helped me out of the passenger
side window. Fortunately the car didn't go up in flames...it was still running when it stopped rolling and I realized I was OK!

BUCKLE UP!!!!! It really makes a difference!
Mike McKinnon
CAPT, USN
Commanding Officer
SUBASE Kings Bay

-------

Reading that email really hit me. I've always been an advocate of seat belt use, and been amazed when I see people so blatantly ignoring one of the easiest ways to prevent/minimize injury in an accident. You are not invincible! You can get hurt! And so can your kids/friends/coworkers... even your pets! Forget whether it's the law or not. Forget whether it's inconvenient, or uncomfortable (and if it's uncomfortable, you're probably wearing it wrong anyway!) or you're just in too much of a hurry. Do you think any of that is going to matter when you're in a halo, with screws in your head to keep you from moving? Or when your kids are in a coma with wires and tubes sticking out of their bodies and a machine keeping them alive? Or when you're at your friend's funeral, or they're at yours? It happens people!!! Wake up - and Buckle up! It could be you, next!

Jeep and sofa photos: ©happysq (used with permission)