Seatbelt

[pdub]

I've gotten this one a few times in recent weeks, a link, but one of my best contributors sent it as a file, so I'll definitely post it as a public service announcement on the site this weekend when I do the update. It's about time I did something useful with the site, after all. Especially with the long holiday weekend coming up and lots of folks on the road.

Many or all of you have probably seen it in your email already - it's all over the world in a hurry. But if one person here hasn't seen it, and if it gives pause for thought, it's worth it. No soapbox here from me, just the thought.

This video was made in Britain, and the point has never been made any better:

http://www.weeville.com/Seatbelt.wmv

[PassmoreRacing]

Re: Seatbelt

I know I'm new here, but now's the time. I've always hated seatbelts. When I taught my daughters to drive or when they were in the car with me I made them wear seatbelts. I did not lead by example. On May 7th 2006 that proved to be a life changing mistake. It was 15 minutes before my daughter's curfew, and the phone rang, her number was on caller ID when we answered it the person on the other end was a policeman. The clock had just started on what was to be the worst day of my life. The happiest day of your life is when you come home from the hospital with your child. The saddest day of your life is when you come home without her. The only conclusion, the one thing, I think most likely would've saved her life was a seatbelt. My daughter was found almost 50 feet away from her car after it spun WHILE it rolled. They think it threw her out backwards,the only way could explain her being 25 feet behind the area of impact and nearly 50 feet behind where the car was, an accident where there was so much force the ENTIRE RF wheel and suspension was found well over 100 feet on the other side and again, BEHIND where the car impacted the embankment. I know this because I was the one who found it 2 days later in the woods. I lost a beautiful child that day all because she wasn't wearing a seatbelt. Her Mother as I knew her died that day as well. Aside from my time at the track with my son. Life is HELL.


Amber Anne Passmore

http://dps.alabama.gov/FatalityMemorial/Default.aspx?ID=8bd6697a-d53a-4b2d-9085-c66b66499655&Type=10&PYear=2006

[milner351]

Re: Seatbelt

Mr. Passmore I am sorry for your loss. No words are adequate or sufficient for anyone who has lost a child. I hope that in some way someday you and your wife can come to peace with the loss of your daughter- only the man up stairs has that kind of power to heal.

I know many police officers that have many stories about lives that could have been saved with seat belts.... let's make it a bangshift rule to click it.... regardless if it means a ticket or not.... they just make sense. There's a reason why our favorite events require safety equipment.

[TheSilverBuick]

Re: Seatbelt

One of the major factors that consoled our family when my bro passed (at 25) in a roll over, was that he was wearing his seat belt. What more could you ask for? (other than the accident not happening of course).

[Scott Liggett]

Re: Seatbelt

My Dad taught us kids well. He wouldn't take the car out of park until we had our seat belts on. I probably would've died several times from falling out of the car if I didn't have my belt on during my "Lets open the door while the car is moving phase." Now, I'm not comfortable without one.

[DanStokes]

Re: Seatbelt

I can't imagine the pain of losing any of my four - two daughters and 2 wonderful stepsons. My heart aches for you.

Like John said, let's all just DO it. It's stupid simple and it's way past theoretical that they work.

You have honored her legacy buy simply posting your reply. Thank you for that.

Dan

[Barry Donovan]

Re: Seatbelt

Mr. Passmore I am sorry for your loss. No words are adequate or sufficient for anyone who has lost a child. I hope that in some way someday you and your wife can come to peace with the loss of your daughter- only the man up stairs has that kind of power to heal.

I know many police officers that have many stories about lives that could have been saved with seat belts.... let's make it a bangshift rule to click it.... regardless if it means a ticket or not.... they just make sense. There's a reason why our favorite events require safety equipment.

+1

seatbelts help in many ways...
if it is your time to go, it is beyond all of us, seatbelt or not.

I have been in 3 wrecks, 2 totalled autos, and one four door truck that had to be pryed open.... a seatbelt worn, in any of the three, I would be mangled into a couple of pieces or crushed into a shape I don't want to think about again.. where I was sitting was not left to be humanly compatible. where I ended up, by grace of something other than I, allowed me to be.

seatbelts or no seatblets... it is a choice.

I found in my welding experiences, alot of b-pillars out there are deadlier attaching a seatbelt.. that is old news of course, today is safer than ever. if it is your habit, it is not a bad one.

[PassmoreRacing]

Re: Seatbelt

Back in the day I never wore one. Since that day I have. Looking at my daughter laying there in that bed I was saying to myself how could this be, she had a little grass in her hair and her knees looked like she fell off her bicycle. Her only life threatning injury was to her head. I fought the doctors for 12 hrs straight, they didn't do what they said they would and kept saying there was nothing they could do. Looking back if I hadn't been up 36 hrs I would've kept fighting them. I've never been as mentally exhausted as that day. It was the day I lost all hope, and my daughter. It's like comapring B.C. to A.D. You have what was your life before that day and you have your life after that day. I've tried so hard to find the positive side of this, I've tried so hard to make it make a difference. When a young person loses their life in a car wreck around here although a total strange sometimes I'll go to their funeral.
I go up to the parents and say: You don't know me, but I've stood where you're standing, it's a long road ahead and only faith in God will carry you through this.

I wouldn't say I've made peace but I'm dealing with it on my own. God has given me the little bit of peace I have. My wife on the other hand has lost everything, faith,hope, love, and her mind.

All my buddies loved Amber. I'd be talking to them on the phone and they'd be telling me how they saw her the weekend before at the track or cruise in, even though I wasn't there.
Amber was a GearHead.

[ksj1]

Re: Seatbelt

It makes me cringe when I think what could have happened sleeping on the package tray in the old 64 4 door Rambler we had.Mom,Dad and five kids.I get nervous on the highway driving my RoadRunner as all it has is lap belts.

[Gary 351C]

Re: Seatbelt

When I was a kid our family never wore seatbelts. We had a '73 Buick Regal that would buzz if they weren't buckled, so we buckled them behind us :. Once I got my drivers license in 1980 I never drove without them.

[pdub]

Re: Seatbelt

Back in the day I never wore one. Since that day I have. Looking at my daughter laying there in that bed I was saying to myself how could this be, she had a little grass in her hair and her knees looked like she fell off her bicycle. Her only life threatning injury was to her head. I fought the doctors for 12 hrs straight, they didn't do what they said they would and kept saying there was nothing they could do. Looking back if I hadn't been up 36 hrs I would've kept fighting them. I've never been as mentally exhausted as that day. It was the day I lost all hope, and my daughter. It's like comapring B.C. to A.D. You have what was your life before that day and you have your life after that day. I've tried so hard to find the positive side of this, I've tried so hard to make it make a difference. When a young person loses their life in a car wreck around here although a total strange sometimes I'll go to their funeral.
I go up to the parents and say: You don't know me, but I've stood where you're standing, it's a long road ahead and only faith in God will carry you through this.

I wouldn't say I've made peace but I'm dealing with it on my own. God has given me the little bit of peace I have. My wife on the other hand has lost everything, faith,hope, love, and her mind.

All my buddies loved Amber. I'd be talking to them on the phone and they'd be telling me how they saw her the weekend before at the track or cruise in, even though I wasn't there.
Amber was a GearHead.

David, I am so sorry for stirring such a horrible memory with my post. I had no idea it would do that to anybody, but as Dan said, "You have honored her legacy buy simply posting your reply. Thank you for that."

I don't have any comments that could weigh against your now-lifelong anguish. Gosh, I am so sorry. This is not CNN, but if anybody in this audience is in any way affected by this discussion, another life may be saved in the future.

My thoughts go out to you Mr. Passmore. Again, thank you so much for sharing that - it must have hurt badly to revisit that. And more again, let's hope it affects at least one other person who reads it.

[PassmoreRacing]

Re: Seatbelt

It didn't stir anything up. It's in the back of your mind with everything you do. You don't re-visit it because you live with it. And I don't mind sharing it. It doesn't cause more or less pain by doing so.

[pdub]

Re: Seatbelt

Dang. Look at my head - it's facing the floor - DANG

Gosh, I'm so sorry.

And I'm not much a philosopher either. We've lost parents and friends and it's never easy. My wife tries her best to blame herself for her dad dying, when he went by natual causes. She THINKS of reasons to blame herself, for that and her mom's passing too.

But she stayed so down for so long that I finally had to wake her up. I had to remind her, hey WE are still alive. Hello? Are you in there? It was not an easy conversation. And her recovery didn't happen overnight, but she's much better now.

Sounds like with your faith you are doing as well a possible under the circumstances. Maybe your wife will pull through okay eventually....I dunno David, that's a hard deal.

[SuperBuickGuy]

Re: Seatbelt

I'm so terribly sorry for your loss. My parents are reacting the way you describe because of the loss of my brother last year, I'd never thought about it that way. So thank you, it will help me help them. Faith gets us through until God makes it all new.

Add this warning to the seatbelt - don't use your cell phone and drive. The broken-in-half cell phone in his truck suggests that was what distracted him into the front of a larger truck.

[PassmoreRacing]

Re: Seatbelt

I posted a link to a story. I would recommend reading it. I struggle with guilt somewhat since her tires were in bad shape and I didn't realize it.