Seatbelts

[still kicking]

4 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

@still kicking Glad you are still here and hopefully both you and your wife got away with it without any injuries.

Thanks mate, we only had minor injuries 

[mogandave]

On 8/16/2025 at 11:35 AM, actonion said:

After a long conversation with  Thai Teenager   ( who spoke English) on road Safety , Minibus Drivers,  No Lights on Bikes at Night,   Seatbelts,  etc.. his response was " Farang scared to die, Thai's not scared", how to help people with that kind of thinking......you can't 

Why would you want to “help” someone go through life afraid of dying? 

 

 

[actonion]

5 hours ago, mogandave said:

Why would you want to “help” someone go through life afraid of dying? 

 

 

 I didnt know he was'nt afraid until i spoke to him did I ?

[gk10012001]

Plain old seat belt is poor protection.  One is likely to slam upper body and head into steering wheel etc.  Belt with Shoulder harness is so much better.  I had one of my cars totaled when a car plowed into me.  Man I actually had black and blue bruise marks on my body from the shoulder harness strap.  Definitely would not have fared well had I slammed into the steering wheel

[Ralf001]

43 minutes ago, gk10012001 said:

Plain old seat belt is poor protection.  One is likely to slam upper body and head into steering wheel etc.  Belt with Shoulder harness is so much better.  I had one of my cars totaled when a car plowed into me.  Man I actually had black and blue bruise marks on my body from the shoulder harness strap.  Definitely would not have fared well had I slammed into the steering wheel

I have full harness and cage in my play toy, am thinking of adding a hans device too.

 

not a chance would I hit the race track with a common seat belt.

[Purdey]

Volvo invented the seatbelt and made it available free to all manufacturers. My father didn't like the idea as the gossip at the time was that the belt trapped you when the car caught fire. How we laugh at the old fogies today. Without seatbelts more people would be dead.

[Hummin]

Still experience taxis and grab who do not have seatbelts since they got them under their cover seat protection. 

[DavisH]

3 hours ago, actonion said:

 I didnt know he was'nt afraid until i spoke to him did I ?

He thinks karma is on his side. Mant Thais think if thye are gonna die they are gonna die - and it's nothing to do with their behaviour. This is especially prevalent among the lowe educated masses. 

[Photoguy21]

I always wear a seat belt. You are a passenger in my car you are going no where until your seat belt is on.

[Ralf001]

25 minutes ago, Purdey said:

Volvo invented the seatbelt and made it available free to all manufacturers. My father didn't like the idea as the gossip at the time was that the belt trapped you when the car caught fire. How we laugh at the old fogies today. Without seatbelts more people would be dead.

 

Meanwhile in the USA.

 

[mogandave]

11 hours ago, actonion said:

 I didnt know he was'nt afraid until i spoke to him did I ?

But he knew you were.

 

 

[chickenslegs]

Air bags won't save you from this ...

 

[richard_smith237]

On 8/15/2025 at 7:14 PM, mogandave said:

Why do leftists care so much about what other people do? 

 

I wear seatbelts, I make the people that ride with me wear seatbelts, but I do not give a rat’s if others do.

 

This attitude is not unlike the dismissive comments we sometimes see about helmets - the idea that "it’s their choice, it’s their loss"...

 

But, there is more to it than that... 

 

If you are involved in an accident, and it happens to be your fault, the consequences are not limited to your own injuries or damage. The other party could claim compensation - and if they were not wearing a seatbelt, the likelihood of them sustaining more severe injuries increases dramatically. That could become your responsibility, financially and legally.

 

Even if fault does not lie with you, the impact is not only measured in legal or financial terms. Imagine being involved in a collision where someone else was seriously injured or even killed simply because they chose not to wear a seatbelt. You - or someone you love - would have to carry the lifelong weight of knowing that your journey, your presence in that moment, was part of the chain of events that led to such avoidable suffering.

 

Seatbelts are not just about self-preservation. They also protect others:

- An unbelted passenger can become a projectile, injuring or killing others in the vehicle.

- Emergency responders and medical staff are left to deal with the devastating aftermath of completely preventable trauma.

- Families and communities bear the emotional burden of grief that could so easily have been avoided.

 

This is not a question of personal choice in isolation. It is about responsibility, empathy, and recognising that our actions - or inactions - ripple far beyond ourselves.

 

 

--------

 

I’ve tried countless times to get my in-laws to wear a seatbelt when they’re driving their own car, but nothing I say ever seems to sink in. At best, they’ll click the belt into place just to silence the warning chimes and then sit on top of it, as if that solves the problem.

 

The irony, though, is that whenever they’re in my car, there’s never any argument. Without fail, they put their seatbelts on automatically because they know I won't move the car until every belt is fastened. There is never any discussion.

 

--------

 

What continues to astonish me is the sheer number of well-educated Thais I see driving around with children in their cars completely unrestrained – babies perched on laps, young children standing on seats, or simply left loose in the back.

 

I watch them arrive at my son’s school in their Alphards and chauffeur-driven cars, the children inside have no seatbelts on at all. These are not people who lack awareness or access to information; many of them have been educated overseas, they have travelled widely, and they cannot claim ignorance.

 

There is simply no excuse. This isn’t about money, knowledge, or convenience – it’s about attitude. What’s missing is a cultural shift: a recognition that seatbelts and child restraints are not optional extras, but basic, non-negotiable measures to protect lives. Until that shift happens, preventable tragedies will continue to occur.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

18 hours ago, mogandave said:

On 8/16/2025 at 5:35 AM, actonion said:

After a long conversation with  Thai Teenager   ( who spoke English) on road Safety , Minibus Drivers,  No Lights on Bikes at Night,   Seatbelts,  etc.. his response was " Farang scared to die, Thai's not scared", how to help people with that kind of thinking......you can't 

Why would you want to “help” someone go through life afraid of dying? 

 

When people say, “You can’t help them,” it’s often just a euphemism for what we all suspect – that some are effectively brain dead when it comes to basic responsibility.

 

The issue isn’t about being afraid of dying. It goes far deeper than that. It’s about a fundamental respect for life.

 

 

 

[VR333]

23 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Thais I see driving around with children in their cars completely unrestrained

 

A few times I've seen kids standing up in a convertible driving along on a highway,  and once bouncing up and down through a sunroof...

🤦‍♂️

[richard_smith237]

23 minutes ago, VR333 said:

 

A few times I've seen kids standing up in a convertible driving along on a highway,  and once bouncing up and down through a sunroof...

🤦‍♂️

 

This one hit the news at the time... 

 

 

 

https://thethaiger.com/news/northern-thailand/outrage-on-social-media-over-child-sitting-on-roof-of-moving-car-in-northern-thailand

[actonion]

10 hours ago, mogandave said:

But he knew you were.

 

 

He knew what

[kingstonkid]

On 8/15/2025 at 11:24 PM, still kicking said:

I often wondered why Thais do not wear seatbelts. It just takes a few seconds to put them on. I had never been in an accident until last week, despite having driven since 1968. Lucky, my Thai wife adjusted to the law over here (OZ), and I guess it saved our lives. A car went right through a stop sign and hit us head-on. The car (ours) was a write-off, but the seatbelts saved us from going through the windscreen. Why do Thais not understand that? Every time I am in LOS, I am the only one who wears a seatbelt and my wife. So why can't Thais wear a seatbelt?

 

 

How long do you spend in Thailand? The land of no helmets kids riding with 4 on a small bike and cops looking the other way.  

 

I also grew up in the 60's and can tell you that seatbelts were available in cars but not widely used until it became an ENFORCED LAW.

 

Thais don't think they need them, and even though it is illegal, just like helmets, people don't care.

 

Short of afety checks that have bite and insurance companies refusing to pay out if seatbelts not worn nothing is going tohappen.

[ujayujay]

On 8/16/2025 at 10:01 AM, SAFETY FIRST said:

You may want to exit the vehicle quickly 

 

Luckygirl, could have been crushed in that wreckage. 

 

 

 

 

Good Stunt......It is always surprising that Thais carry half of their household goods in their cars

[Explorator en Actione]

On 8/15/2025 at 5:01 PM, SAFETY FIRST said:

You may want to exit the vehicle quickly 

 

Luckygirl, could have been crushed in that wreckage. 

 

 

 

 

This should be shown to everyone you love as to why you insist they wear na seatbelt, by this shot, she is evidently the driver and thrown out of the car.  What caused the accident is still a mystery.

[Explorator en Actione]

3 minutes ago, Explorator en Actione said:

This should be shown to everyone you love as to why you insist they wear na seatbelt, by this shot, she is evidently the driver and thrown out of the car.  What caused the accident is still a mystery.

 

[Ralf001]

13 hours ago, chickenslegs said:

Air bags won't save you from this ...

 

hahahahahaha, solid effort !

[Tazmo]

Psychologists reckon it’s about changing attitudes.

 

One effective way to change an attitude is to impose a financial penalty and implement it!

 

It worked in the UK when the seat belt law was introduced. Many of the Seniors were bragging that they drove for years without wearing a belt and had no accidents and therefore would not wear a belt.

Once the then £50.00 penalty was introduced, they all belted up!

 

“Hit them in the pocket”, as a Former businessman used to say!

[Unamerican]

On 8/16/2025 at 12:18 AM, still kicking said:

That's why 20.000 people die on the road 

Every day!!! 

[Scott Tracy]

On 8/15/2025 at 7:14 PM, mogandave said:

Why do leftists care so much about what other people do? 

 

I wear seatbelts, I make the people that ride with me wear seatbelts, but I do not give a rat’s if others do.

Why do people make this a leftist or rightist thing? Does politics matter that much in the case of discussing seatbelts? Ooooh, I'm rightist and immortal so a seatbelt is for hanging my handbag on... Grow the duck up. Caring about others is also basic humanity, or perhaps rightists are immune to that too.

[Harrisfan]

3 minutes ago, Scott Tracy said:

Why do people make this a leftist or rightist thing? Does politics matter that much in the case of discussing seatbelts? Ooooh, I'm rightist and immortal so a seatbelt is for hanging my handbag on... Grow the duck up. Caring about others is also basic humanity, or perhaps rightists are immune to that too.

You just made it about left n right

[cracker1]

I can't answer your "seat belt" question, and I similarly wonder why they don't wear motor cycle helmets ?

Daily I see MC riders carrying their helmet but not wearing it.

 

I do have some thoughts about the difference :

• Cars have belts installed before sale and motorcycles do not.
• Some have told me they are too hot.
• Some say it messes their hair style.

[OneManShow]

The most convenient (easiest/shortest) way is the best way to them. Right ways or safe ways won't fit. 

[kwilco]

On 8/15/2025 at 5:46 PM, still kicking said:

Yes, I have never seen them in Thailand 

then you haven't got a Thai driving licence?

[kwilco]

On 8/15/2025 at 9:47 PM, KhunLA said:

I only wear a seatbelt, because it's the law.  

 

I do use a clip, to restrict the tension, so that I don't feel the seat belt at all against my body.   In a crash, it would be useless, as I'd hit the airbag, way before the seatbelt stopped my inertial movement.

 

May keep me from getting ejected from the car, if hit hard enough to open the door, but that's about it.  50+ years of driving, and yet to need a seatbelt, and with airbags, a bit redundant & useless IMHO.

you always get it wrong, don't you?

A seatbelt works best if it is against your body, but it works by shock absorption  i.e. it stretches in an accident and slows down your bones and internal organs in order to minimise damage such as internal bleeding - An Air bags assists that but you need the seat belt to work in conjunction and keep you in the right position for th bag to be effective