# Thank Og for seatbelts! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 9, 2006, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-og-for-seatbelts/339149 "2006-01-09T13:45:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-og-for-seatbelts/339149/21 "2006-01-10T04:34:50Z")
> [@Ferret Herder](#): > > There may not actually be a trial in which he gives an excuse. My husband and I both went to local traffic courts (separate reasons) last year, and saw a lot of cases that involved car accidents with injuries or at least ambulances transporting. If the person pled guilty, that’s all that happened - judge called the person up, gave the charge, asked if there was anyone there who’d claimed/questioned injury at the scene. If no, the person was dismissed. If yes, the judge then asked the person how they pled. A guilty plea meant nothing further from anyone, besides perhaps a few questions from the judge - any other tickets recently, etc. - then a “your fine is $X, pay the clerk, next!” If the plea was not guilty, they went back to their seats for a trial later, but I didn’t see any of those. I assume that those who were in the car-not-at-fault would get to say something at such a trial. Just wanted to add that I’m not sure how serious any of these cases were - I suppose fleeing the scene might bump it up to a different “level” of court, or might not be a charge where it matters if the affected show up or not, etc. I’m just going by what I saw. I would also advise you to not contact the man who caused the accident. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-og-for-seatbelts/339149/22 "2006-01-10T11:55:26Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > He must have hit you hard–to flip a practically stationary van? :eek: Not necessarially. Vans, SUVs, and trucks all have a higher center of gravity than cars do, and thus can flip more easily. Obviously, there was a significant impact, but depending on the van and the car in question it can be a lot easier to flip a large vehicle than you might think. Which is all the more reason to wear those seat belts. ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-og-for-seatbelts/339149/23 "2006-01-10T12:02:26Z")
> [@Ferret Herder](#): > > Just wanted to add that I’m not sure how serious any of these cases were - I suppose fleeing the scene might bump it up to a different “level” of court, or might not be a charge where it matters if the affected show up or not, etc. I’m just going by what I saw. I would also advise you to not contact the man who caused the accident. Well, it was a nice thought, but I can see why it would be a bad idea to try and contact him in person. I wonder if it would be ok to write him a letter (non-threatening, of course.)? ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-og-for-seatbelts/339149/24 "2006-01-10T14:39:23Z")
How much worse did the guy make it for himself by fleeing the scene on foot? Would that count as hit and run? ---
**Author:** ![Dante](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dante/32/9673_2.png) [@Dante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-og-for-seatbelts/339149/25 "2006-01-10T14:49:50Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > How much worse did the guy make it for himself by fleeing the scene on foot? Would that count as hit and run? Yup. But he may have made it better for himself. I’m not going to slog through Michigan law, but in most cases, leaving the scene of an accident is better than say, a DUI conviction. If he was drunk, that may be why he left the scene. ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-og-for-seatbelts/339149/26 "2006-01-10T14:50:54Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > How much worse did the guy make it for himself by fleeing the scene on foot? Would that count as hit and run? Absolutely! The officer on the scene told me that it was a, “hit and run”. ---
**Author:** ![susan\_foster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@susan\_foster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan_foster)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-og-for-seatbelts/339149/27 "2006-01-10T14:53:10Z")
> [@Dragwyr](#): > > Well, it was a nice thought, but I can see why it would be a bad idea to try and contact him in person. I wonder if it would be ok to write him a letter (non-threatening, of course.)? I would let it be. Your wife and kids were shaken up, but thank goodness they are safe. Let the system that is in place to handle these things do its job. It won’t do you any good to interfere, and it might actually cause harm. I was in an accident when I was in high school. I remember having a line of bruises down the front of my chest from the seat belt. Thank goodness for the seat belt! Susan ---
**Author:** ![JustAnotherGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/58f4c7/32.png) [@JustAnotherGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustAnotherGeek)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-og-for-seatbelts/339149/28 "2006-01-10T15:00:07Z")
1.) Quite glad to hear that everyone is ok. 2.) “Daddy, the car fell down.” How can anyone _not_ love 2.5 year olds? 3.) > [@Dragwyr](#): > > Well, it was a nice thought, but I can see why it would be a bad idea to try and contact him in person. I wonder if it would be ok to write him a letter (non-threatening, of course.)? IANAL, but my $0.02 is to say, ‘just stay away’; don’t communicate directly in any way to this guy until after everything is settled. I know that you want this guy to see the people his actions have hurt; I know that you want him to have a chance to be decent and apologize. Unforetunately, in our society, this will most likely be frowned upon by the powers that be. However, I think that such a letter would be quite cathartic to write. Perhaps you (and maybe the rest of the D-family) should take the time to compose your thoughts into the written form and post them (in, I suppose, The Pit). Give yourself (and whomever else) the chance to review how this accident has made you feel, put it down in words, post it, and let it be a source for closure / healing. 4.) **Thank Og for seatbelts!** _AMEN!_ Preach it, brother! ---
**Author:** ![light\_strand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a6a055/32.png) [@light\_strand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/light_strand)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-og-for-seatbelts/339149/29 "2006-01-10T15:17:04Z")
> [@Dragwyr](#): > > We have… er **had** a '98 Pontiac Transport-Montana. I hated that van as it had many mechanical problems throughout it’s life, but I will give props to the GM engineers who designed the safety belt system for this minivan, as well as those who designed the cab and frame. I know this is hard to believe, but my sister was involved in designing those seat belts. She’s a GM engineer at the Proving Grounds in Milford MI. I’m going to have to tell her. ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-og-for-seatbelts/339149/30 "2006-01-10T18:48:30Z")
> [@light strand](#): > > I know this is hard to believe, but my sister was involved in designing those seat belts. She’s a GM engineer at the Proving Grounds in Milford MI. I’m going to have to tell her. Yes!!! Please tell her that she and her engineering team has my heartfelt thanks and that their seatbelt designs rock! ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-og-for-seatbelts/339149/31 "2006-01-10T20:04:33Z")
My parents were in a similar crash back in the early '70s, before I was born. The guy who ran a stop sign and hit them was high on something and POW! Flipped over the 15-passenger van my dad was driving (they were the only passengers at the time). They were both wearing their seatbelts and were uninjured, hanging upside down in the harnesses as the van came to a halt. However, my mom unwisely decided to unbuckle her seatbelt so she could get out of the van and fell on her head, giving her a relatively minor neck injury that still bothers her sometimes, over 30 years later. My husband’s truck was flipped in an accident several years ago, and the seatbelt saved him too. The roof of the cab was crushed down when it hit the ground and if the belt hadn’t held him in place, his head would’ve been right there. As it was, he had to kick out the smashed windshield to escape the truck. I’m so glad everyone in your family was safe. That’s a very scary thing to have happen, but I’ll bet none of your kids will ever give you a hard time about putting on their seatbelts again. ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-og-for-seatbelts/339149/32 "2006-01-10T21:24:49Z")
> [@susan\_foster](#): > > I was in an accident when I was in high school. I remember having a line of bruises down the front of my chest from the seat belt. Thank goodness for the seat belt! Yep, I know that story all too well! It happened to me a couple of months after I got my licence. Car vs Tree. Tree won. Stupid inexperienced driver thing. I obviously go nowhere without a seat belt on now! -butler ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-og-for-seatbelts/339149/33 "2006-01-10T21:58:55Z")
> [@Dante](#): > > Yup. But he may have made it better for himself. I’m not going to slog through Michigan law, but in most cases, leaving the scene of an accident is better than say, a DUI conviction. If he was drunk, that may be why he left the scene. I was also thinking that the driver might have been drunk or otherwise under the influence, and perhaps the hit-and-run charge was less severe. But I doubt he made a rational calculation of the situation. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-og-for-seatbelts/339149/34 "2006-01-10T22:59:07Z")
I 457th the vote not to contact the guy, **Dragwyr**. Your insurance company will probably be going after his insurance company for reimbursement for their loss, and he will probably also stand trial on criminal charges. At this point, tempting though it may be, you do _not_ want to talk to _anybody_ without the explicit permission of your insurance company. They’re the ones who will be representing your interests, so they’re the ones who need to have the final say on who you can/can’t talk to. As an example, I was recently rear-ended, just a tap; but the car behind the girl that hit me smashed into her car. And although I had no injuries and no damages, I reported it to my insurance company just in case someone else decided to sue, and was at that point given specific permission to talk to the other drivers’ insurance companies. But I wouldn’t have said a word to them without my insurance company’s permission. But may I also be the 457th to say: Thank heaven for seatbelts, and the fact that your family was all wearing them! ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2006, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-og-for-seatbelts/339149/35 "2006-01-11T01:42:46Z")
> [@cbawlmer](#): > > … but I’ll bet none of your kids will ever give you a hard time about putting on their seatbelts again. They never really complained about seat belts before, but I’m certain now more than ever they won’t ever give me any flack about wearing them. > [@Dewey Finn](#): > > I was also thinking that the driver might have been drunk or otherwise under the influence, and perhaps the hit-and-run charge was less severe. We hope to have a copy of the police report by the end of the week so we can find out if the guy was drunk, high, mentally unstable, or something else. I will be sure to post what we find out here. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-og-for-seatbelts/339149/36 "2006-01-17T14:47:39Z")
Did you ever hear anything more, **Dragwyr**? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-og-for-seatbelts/339149.md?page=1)