In 1966, just before I went into the Army, my Dad used my Renault as a trade in for a Volvo 4 door sedan. he gave it to me as I graduated from OCS in 1967. It was a great car and when I went to Vietnam, I returned it to him. To get it registered at Fort Sill, I had to put in shoulder seat belts. It had the right bolt holes but no belts. I found a set at a local wrecking yard and I installed and used them all the time. Dad was driving through Girard, KS one evening and a guy pulled out right in front of him. It darn near tore the front end off the car and without belts, my dad would probably have been killed by the steering wheel.
Dad had ribs separated from his sternum and a broken nose where his knee hit him. He did spend a day or two in the hospital but that beats the hell out of the alternative.
Dad said that in spite of the damage done to the Volvo front end, all four doors would open and close. This is a tribute to Volvo and a used set of seat belts.
Dad was around another 30 or so years after that accident and always wore his seat belt. I do too. I wonder why others don't.
MUD
Dad said that in spite of the damage done to the Volvo front end, all four doors would open and close. This is a tribute to Volvo and a used set of seat belts. 
Just like when I see a dude get smacked in the junk with a baseball, I cringed like a little girl with, "Dad had ribs separated from his sternum." Dang, that sounds so very painful.
ReplyDeleteI wear my seatbelt, too. Mainly because other drivers suck.
MUD, thanks for the story, and for the pictures. As I've written before, I was one of those "I ain't wearing one of them things" guys.
ReplyDeleteIt took an up close and personal look for me to change my mind.
Man! I'm with Paul, too. I always figured that I was one of those old Grandma type drivers that would never be in an accident. Actually I never have, and I started driving in 1975.
And, my son I told you about drives just like me...completely cautious, obeys all limits, regulations, etc. But, the other guy ain't me, or him. There are way more idiots out there on the road than I even care to think about.