Seatbelt issue . .. AIBU

My brother in law was stopped by the police because his granddaughter had taken off her seatbelt, he couldn’t see because she was in the back. The police spoke to her kindly and she never took it off again.

It is committing an offence if she doesn't us a belt. I won't get in car with her.

I also knew a family where a little girl died because she wasn't wearing a belt in a minibus.
I really can't understand why your friend is being so perverse OP. Even if an accident is unlikely it could still happen and she could kill someone in the front seat as well as herself if she is thrown forward.

Oh Anniebach I'm so sorry to hear that.
We have an advert on TV here of a car crash were they have no seatbelts on and it's horrendous to watch what can happen. I make everyone wear a seatbelt in my car, even the dog has one.

Um,is this a cunningly disguised post about facemasks?
Or are there really people out there who care about seatbelts and the not-wearing thereof?

Froggyspawn

Um,is this a cunningly disguised post about facemasks?
Or are there really people out there who care about seatbelts and the not-wearing thereof?

Old thread, started way before Covid and face masks!

It is an odd thread, but anyway . . .

Do people really choose their friends based on whether they agree with them about every issue?

I can't imagine refusing to socialise with someone because of an issue like this. I'd maybe stop going out in cars with them, but I don't expect my friends to be thoughtclones. For one thing, what do people talk about if they have to agree on pain of excommunication?

I thought it was the other way around. It’s the driver who gets fined. It’s the drivers responsibility to protect his passengers. If someone gets in my car a doesn’t put the seat belt on I won’t drive off until they have or got out.

I wouldn't break the friendship but would tell her that next time you will get a taxi on your own.

The law requires that drivers and passengers aged 14 and over in cars, vans and other commercial vehicles must wear a seatbelt, if available. As a driver you are responsible for making sure that anyone under the age of 14 wears a seat belt or uses the right child restraint as required by law.

The driver is responsible for making sure everyone is ‘belted up’ and I think taxi drivers are included in this. Does anyone remember that horrendous advert for rear seat belts ? A family gets into their car and the narrator says that although the mother wore her seat belt she still died at the hands of one of the children in the back of the car without a seat belt. He catapulted forward when they crashed and collided with the back of her head. It horrified me and to this day it prompts me to wear a belt if I’m travelling in the back of a car.

If anyone gets in my car and doesn't put the seat belt on we don't move, be same if I drove a taxi. If any of my kids tried to escape from their car seats (arms through straps etc) I would pull over and sit there until they were strapped in properly. One of my dc could get out of even the tightest straps little #£&% was always trying to escape.

After all these years and all the data proving that seat belts, front and back of the car is an absolute must for the safety of all the passengers and drivers, I am surprised it is even an issue Anyone refusing to wear one should not be allowed in the car.
No arguments, no discussions and yes you are right to be angry. I find that even the most sensible people are unbelievable stupid at times.

I had an aunt who would say to passengers "just hold it around you". In other words don't clip it in if you don't want to! Weird logic. She drove at 20 miles per hour everywhere and fortunately never had an accident.

It's a car! The law says you must wear a seatbelt!

My husband was a taxi driver. He would refuse to drive until the customers had put their seat belts on. He was responsible if there was an accident and they were not wearing a seat belt.

It was surprising how many people he had to tell, including people who said it would be fine for their children not to wear one.

Take it you share the costs of the taxi? In future don't share. Whats money compared to your life through this persons attitude to seat belts were you involved in an accident.

My car makes a annoying beep if someone hasn’t buckled up. It gets louder and faster until they do.
Other cars I’ve been in are the same so surprised a taxi doesn’t have this feature.
As others have said, I’d refuse to travel with her in future.

I wouldn't drop her as a friend but if it happens again I'd refuse to travel in a car with her. In my experience with private hire taxis (UK) many people don't bother with seat belts in the back, and the drivers don't say anything about it. Very stupid.

Maybe she doesn’t wear a mask either -one of ‘those’.

A few years back a coach mounted a kerb at speed and flipped on its side. Three passengers were killed by being thrown out of their seats. They were not wearing seat belts. Most of the other passengers were belted and survived with minor injuries.
It is simply madness not to wear a seatbelt and in the rear of a car you are putting the front seat travellers in serious danger. Accidents DO happen.

Sweetie222

Shared a taxi with a friend this morning. we were both in the back and as we moved on she declined to put seatbelt on.

I pointed out that if we had a bump an unbelted person in the car was a danger to both of us and the driver. She said it wouldn’t happen but if it did it did.

She reacted as though I was a bit of a wimp, couldn’t seem to grasp that the issue was that even if she wasn’t concerned about her own safety I cared about mine!

AIBU to feel rather angry, with a reluctance to socialise with her any more?

Cup her! She's an idiot. Next question??

#DUMP her......... predictive text harrumph!

Better creased clothes than a permanently creased face!!!

It's the law and it's there to save lives. I really would think twice before I'd travel in a taxi with someone again who was so foolish about such an important safety issue.