wear your seatbelt

[wolfdogs]

i do this twice a year, once on the day it happend and once on his "would be birthday"....

my son was born august 22, 1976. he would have been 30 years old today.
born into a house with a dad who just left gm as a safety engnieer to take a govt. job in the newly formed Automotive Commodity Center and a support engineer...... as he grew, he learned, heard, and ate, drank, and slept automotive safety, from keeping tires properly inflated, to keeping windows clean, suspension components in check, seat belts in check, air bags (later on), you name it.

he went on to become a very good mechanic as his profession of choice.......

he was killed two years ago April in mid southern Va. in an auto crash. driving an older dodge ram pick up....which are built like a tank. ........ the right front wheel dropped down in a ditch...he stayed on it and tried to correct, it was a slow mild curve, he was doing around 60 mph.... the a-arm snapped, on the right side, the truck dug in the ditch, and went airborn on its right side, and hit a tree head on......he was thrown thru the windshield and killed instantly........ because he was not wearing a seat belt. his girlfriend ended up under the dash on the passenger side....... she went thru extensive surgery, having her left eye socket reconstructed and recieved several cracked bones in her upper body....... she was not wearing a seat belt.........she was lucky to be alive.

regards.

[TraceZ]

I really appreciate that you take the time to share such an emotional tragedy with us. I hope everyone takes the time to read this, and takes heed.

God Bless.

[MarkFL]

I vividly remember that, Ken...jeez, you were already so emotionally charged helping him with his health issues and then outta nowhere, this happened. My heart went out to you.

it's just like you to take such a bewildering tragedy and turn it into a way to help others.

I used to never wear seatbelts. Then it became the law, and I still stubbornly resisted and thankfully it didn't take a tragedy to turn me around. I just got tired of worrying every time I saw a cop. Now I would feel naked driving without it.

When I rolled my Z28 , the belt kept my head from the ttop glass, which could've potentially been bad.

[PUREPWR]

I remember the day i when i read the original post about this.

Good Bless

[Christopherrr]

I still remember...

I was driving home today...and took off my seat belt to make myself alittle more comfortable for the drive home...and I realized that in a blink anything could happen...I snapped it back on.

We're still sorry for your lost Ken.

Your perseverance is appreciated...thanks.

Lets stay safe out there.

[wolfdogs]

thanks guys. alot.

[Rhode Island Red]

I remember that event vividly like the very day it happened.

I was raised from birth to always wear a seat-belt as Southern Caifornia was already quite choked in traffic in the 70's already. Parents always refused to even start the car without everybody buckled up. To this day, I do the same - any passenger in a vehicle I drive will have a seat-belt or I won't start the car or will pull over until they do - I am iron-clad stubborn in this regard.

Thanks for the reminder !

[Jeff_in_Atl]

Ken I never know what to say when you post these. Words just can't do it justice. My thoughts are with you and your family though.

I guess when you start driving in cars with vinyl seats and Armor All you learn to wear your seat belts out of necessity to keep from sliding across the car. I've always been in to handling as much as acceleration so you kind of need them. I had front and rear sway bars on my 70 Dodge Dart (340 6 pack 4spd 3.91 gears). When I bought my first motorcycle 20+ years ago, 750 Interceptor, it felt weird to me to not have a seat belt. Same thing in a speed boat. Of coarse neither would you want one. I wouldn't mind a multi point harness in my car now. I can't understand why anybody wouldn't wear them.

[Steel2686]

Thanks for reposting this, Ken. It must be tough every time you do it. Still, you take the time to do it anyway. You are doing your son very proud.

Thank you and God Bless.

[ryan34]

always where my seatbelt....thanks for the concern ken

[sneitzel]

It's unfortunate that it takes tragic stories like this to convince some people to wear seatbelts. I too don't understand why people don't.

My brother in law never wore a seatbelt. My sister would remind him all the time when he was driving to put it on and he would refuse. My nephew was born 3 years ago. Funny, now he wears a seatbelt all the time.

Thanks for the reminder Ken.

Scott

[johnpr]

thanks for the post, i was raised to wear my seatbelt and i dont move the car until everyones buckled but its always nice to see the reminders, just wish it wasnt such a tragedy one of the guys where i was stationed rolled his mustang convertible after a party and killed him and his girl, neither had seatbelts on, its sad to think abot, the actions in 1 second that could change your life

[Al 96 Ram Air T/A]

I for one will never forget.

I refuse to let anyone in my car's without a seatbelt...won't happen on my watch.


Stay strong...