I almost learned that I'm not invincible the hard way.

[IROCker]

Just got home and felt compelled to tell everyone to PLEASE buckle up every time you get in a car. Just tonight my buddy and I thought we'd see what our cars can do, mainly for me cause I just got mine tweaked and I'm a beginner. He's the Camaro genius I have sometimes referred to; a few years older than me and has built his prized possession out of a 2002 SS with so many custom mods I can't even think of. He wanted to put it up against my new baby, so we went out late to see how it would stack up against my 383 stroker. This was honestly the first heavy race I've been in from standstill.

We go out of town on a flat country highway and get next to each other. He starts out ahead of me at the line cause my 275s just spin through the first 3 gears. I'm a beginner of course. But then I catch up to him and pass him by the time we're doing 110 and continue to pull away till I hit about 135.

Then for some freak reason he hits a slick spot in the road and slides sideways down the highway and eventually hits head on into an 8 foot ditch on his side of the highway. I see it all happen through the rear view mirror and slam on my breaks in 6th gear (which, of course, is not a smart thing to do), but it's like a gun shot me in the heart as I'm sure some of you have felt at one point or another. I come to a stop half way on the highway and half on the gravel shoulder. Did something slight to my transmission, but it's not like I really care about my stupid tranny at that point. I throw it in reverse and dart back 200 feet to where he went off the road.

I pull beside his ditched car, once a gorgeous metallic orange body, so dearly taken care of and without a finger print on it. Now, it sits with it's shattered nose face deep down in the ditch. I park my car with headlights shining as close to it as the angle will allow, and jump out with heart racing about 300 beats per minute. I see the whole car, which 30 seconds ago had looked so imaculate it made the new Cobra's quiver at a glance; and now it looked as if a semi had ran it over. Body was cracked and crushed from nose to bumper on both sides. Wheels bent, windows broken, exhaust pipes bent like they were rubber...then I see the dome light come on. And to my astonishment and utter joy, I see my older friend unbuckle his seat belt and crawl out of the passenger window.

The thoughts of the car immediately ellude me, and I embrace him with tears fighting through my blood-shot eyes. Then he simply says to me as calm as a judge, "Seat belts save lives..."

And at that point I knew we'd be OK. Panels can be replaced, new wheels can be bolted on, engine can be rebuilt...but lives can never be replaced. I have lost 5 friends in car accidents in high school. Melissa Allen, Karl Huffman, his sister Krystal Huffman 2 years later, Aaron Boney, and 3 months ago one of my best friends Corey Gibbons. None of them deserved to die. Tonight we both deserved to die and I will thank God every day I live for my life and the life of a friend. It can happen to any one of us. He was the best driver in my home city hands down no question. And it almost cost him his life tonight. I have never heard of anyone to survive a head-on ditch collision at 140 mph. I'll post a picture of the car as soon as I get it.

So I plead with all you car lovers, and I am truely an admirer of them myself, don't take your lives for granted. Snap that buckle. There are so many more people who care for you than you may think. Seat belts really do save lives.

And I wasn't wearing my seat belt...

[Z Ya Later]

Just got home and felt compelled to tell everyone to PLEASE buckle up every time you get in a car. Just tonight my buddy and I thought we'd see what our cars can do, mainly for me cause I just got mine tweaked and I'm a beginner. He's the Camaro genius I have sometimes referred to; a few years older than me and has built his prized possession out of a 2002 SS with so many custom mods I can't even think of. He wanted to put it up against my new baby, so we went out late to see how it would stack up against my 383 stroker. This was honestly the first heavy race I've been in from standstill.

We go out of town on a flat country highway and get next to each other. He starts out ahead of me at the line cause my 275s just spin through the first 3 gears. I'm a beginner of course. But then I catch up to him and pass him by the time we're doing 110 and continue to pull away till I hit about 135.

Then for some freak reason he hits a slick spot in the road and slides sideways down the highway and eventually hits head on into an 8 foot ditch on his side of the highway. I see it all happen through the rear view mirror and slam on my breaks in 6th gear (which, of course, is not a smart thing to do), but it's like a gun shot me in the heart as I'm sure some of you have felt at one point or another. I come to a stop half way on the highway and half on the gravel shoulder. Did something slight to my transmission, but it's not like I really care about my stupid tranny at that point. I throw it in reverse and dart back 200 feet to where he went off the road.

I pull beside his ditched car, once a gorgeous metallic orange body, so dearly taken care of and without a finger print on it. Now, it sits with it's shattered nose face deep down in the ditch. I park my car with headlights shining as close to it as the angle will allow, and jump out with heart racing about 300 beats per minute. I see the whole car, which 30 seconds ago had looked so imaculate it made the new Cobra's quiver at a glance; and now it looked as if a semi had ran it over. Body was cracked and crushed from nose to bumper on both sides. Wheels bent, windows broken, exhaust pipes bent like they were rubber...then I see the dome light come on. And to my astonishment and utter joy, I see my older friend unbuckle his seat belt and crawl out of the passenger window.

The thoughts of the car immediately ellude me, and I embrace him with tears fighting through my blood-shot eyes. Then he simply says to me as calm as a judge, "Seat belts save lives..."

And at that point I knew we'd be OK. Panels can be replaced, new wheels can be bolted on, engine can be rebuilt...but lives can never be replaced. I have lost 5 friends in car accidents in high school. Melissa Allen, Karl Huffman, his sister Krystal Huffman 2 years later, Aaron Boney, and 3 months ago one of my best friends Corey Gibbons. None of them deserved to die. Tonight we both deserved to die and I will thank God every day I live for my life and the life of a friend. It can happen to any one of us. He was the best driver in my home city hands down no question. And it almost cost him his life tonight. I have never heard of anyone to survive a head-on ditch collision at 140 mph. I'll post a picture of the car as soon as I get it.

So I plead with all you car lovers, and I am truely an admirer of them myself, don't take your lives for granted. Snap that buckle. There are so many more people who care for you than you may think. Seat belts really do save lives.

And I wasn't wearing my seat belt...

...and say no to street racing, its what the strip is for

Glad you guys are alright. Hopefully his SS will get fixed quickly. Take care man...and clean your pants lol

[Dave M]

Not buckling your seat belt is one of the stupidest things you can (not) do. It takes only a second to do, and no matter how many electrnic nannies cars come with, accidents will still happen. I honestly don't know why there are still people in the world that don't use them. Many use the excuse that they're afraid of being trapped in the car, but that's far more rare than getting tossed out of one or having your face permanently implanted on your steering wheel. Not to mention there are tools you can buy for a few bucks that will cut seat belts.

Street racing is stupid to begin with, but we've all done it at some point. There's just no excuse for not wearing a seatbelt. Your example shows that even on a deserted road at night, things can still go wrong. Glad everyone was okay.

[LS1 TA]

Glad to hear your buddy got out of it safely. You don't really realize how dangerous something you enjoy doing is until it hits you like that on a personal level.

[95TransAm]

I'm glad to hear you guys made it out ok. Seat belts really do save lives...thus the reason why mine is always on.

I hope your friend can get his SS up and running again.

Take care man

[lt14mla]

glad to hear you guys are ok. I forget to wear my belt sometimes myself. Its things like this that kick our @$$ into gear and remind us that we aren't invincible. As said above cars are possesions and can be replaced. Lives can't and the guilt of knowing someone close died to you can't be forgotten.

[TraceZ]

First, let me tell you how glad I am and how lucky you are that nobody was killed.

It is actually not a good idea to go race on deserted backroads. It may at first sound like a safer alternative than a city highway, but in reality those roads are typically narrow, bumpy and have dangerous ditches on both sides with trees and poles. There are also usually hills and turns theat make racing on them very dangerous, especially at night. Stay far away from those roads.

The best place to race is at the track. I realize everyone on this forum has and will street race so the key on those rare occasions is to pick a safe street.

I prefer the long, strait, wide, empty interstate highway. If there is no traffic you can slow down to 15-20 mph and hit it from a roll, safely going to 100 or so before slowing down. At least then you know the road conditions will not cause an accident. But please, whatever you do dont ever go race on dangerous back roads. There are too many variables out of your control, and anything could happen. ... as you already found out the hard way.

[BadWS6]

WOW glad your friend is OK and I hope the car can be fixed ...

[TODD 2000 V6 CAMARO]

So glad to hear that both of you are ok. Someone was looking out for ya'll, that's for sure. Definitely, guys, wear your seatbelts....there is no excuse not to. Also, one other note about racing on deserted back roads....if both of you lose it, and are incapacitated, the time it may take for someone to come along and render aid could be alot longer than on a regular street. There just isn't a safe enough place to race on the street, but if you do...make sure it is as safe as possible. But try to keep it at the track. Thank God both of you are still alive!

[IROCker]

No, there will definetely be no street racing on back roads for me. Yes they are skinny, bumpy, windy, and surrounded by ditches and trees. It was very stupid for us to do it. Woke up this morning and "Thanks God" was the first thing to come out of my mouth.