[Bigmon]

Tractor-trailer driver killed in crash on turnpike

[Jackrabbit379]

That's a sad story.
Who knows what mighta happened if he would have been wearing his seatbelt.

[Windwalker]

The seatbelt is not a "PREVENT-ALL" in an accident, but there is a federal reg that states a seatbelt must be worn in all commercial vehicles. Having been in a truck that rolled over, I can tell you that the seatbelt is the one thing that will stop you from taking a trip outside. Can't say much about blunt force trauma, but with the window broken out, the truck is on it's side, gravity works to drop you out the bottom and you could find yourself under the rig until they raise it enough to get you out. Pinned under about 40,000 pounds of load and trailer is not something you'll wiggle out of without help, if you can hold your breath that long.

I know there are a lot of drivers that do not use seatbelts when they're driving. Hopefully, it won't catch up to them. "IT ALWAYS HAPPENS TO THE OTHER GUY". The law of averages says we'll all get our turn to be the other guy.

I hate to hear about a driver dying, but it looks like his seatbelt might have kept him here on earth a bit longer.

[cdswans]

I'm tempted to write that, from now on, I'm going to post every story I find that attributes a fatality in an accident to the absence of a seat belt. To be honest, I don't have enough time to make that kind of commitment. There are just too many of them.

It doesn't matter what you drive, every vehicle on the road is designed, engineered and reinforced with crumple zones that, based on analysis of collisions which have already occurred, will protect you from any manner of trauma you if you stay within the zone and that is precisely where your seat belt is designed to keep you!

Are seat belts a "be all - end all"? Of course not. The only thing they can promise is better odds. I spend a lot of time on the road and I like better odds.

RIP Transport America Driver. I hope your survivors learn something from this.

[cdswans]

I drove by this recovery, today:

Driver Killed When Tractor Trailer Crashes Into River - WGHP

It's hard to say if a seat belt would have saved him or not. Unless, of course, he drowned because he was ejected. Either way, he'll never know.

RIP Western Express driver.

[bentstrider]

Originally Posted by Windwalker

The seatbelt is not a "PREVENT-ALL" in an accident, but there is a federal reg that states a seatbelt must be worn in all commercial vehicles. Having been in a truck that rolled over, I can tell you that the seatbelt is the one thing that will stop you from taking a trip outside. Can't say much about blunt force trauma, but with the window broken out, the truck is on it's side, gravity works to drop you out the bottom and you could find yourself under the rig until they raise it enough to get you out. Pinned under about 40,000 pounds of load and trailer is not something you'll wiggle out of without help, if you can hold your breath that long.

I know there are a lot of drivers that do not use seatbelts when they're driving. Hopefully, it won't catch up to them. "IT ALWAYS HAPPENS TO THE OTHER GUY". The law of averages says we'll all get our turn to be the other guy.

I hate to hear about a driver dying, but it looks like his seatbelt might have kept him here on earth a bit longer.

+ 1,000,000 on that, being in the same type of incident, the seatbelt kept anything worse from being inflicted upon me aside from a cut hand.
Anytime I hop into a vehicle, it's always belt on before ignition and/or screaming at anyone that didn't buckle.

Some people think I'm an A--hole for being like that, fine. Get out and hold out your thumb.

[cdswans]

Throw one more on the heap of tragedy . .

Crash on I-79 in Butler County kills trucker - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

"Police said Hockenberry was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the cab through the passenger door. He died at the scene."