seat belt law Archives - Comedy Defensive Driving®

Seat Belts Save Lives

Daun Thompson — Mon, 07 Aug 2017 15:01:59 +0000

While it’s kind of mean to say that people that don’t wear a seat belt must have a death wish and that perhaps those who refuse to wear one is (to those of us who do wear them) another form of natural selection, studies show that seat belts save lives. And, they not only save the lives of those who wear them, but the lives of others riding in the vehicle. Most people who don’t wear them admit that it’s because the seat belt is uncomfortable and will wrinkle their outfit. Not like going through the windshield won’t wrinkle their outfit and their head, etc.

If those non-wearers want scientific evidence, perhaps explaining how kinetic energy works in an impact and damage to soft tissue and bones at a high impact can oftentimes kill you, even with all of the crazy new safety features in cars. At a slower speed, wearing a seat belt will, at the very least, keep you in your seat where you can still control and maneuver your vehicle, rather than attempting to do it from the passenger seat or back seat where you may end up. At a higher speed, the faster you go, the more kinetic energy you and the vehicle possess. When you hit the brakes or your car comes to an abrupt stop, all this kinetic energy has to go somewhere. A small portion is released as heat (like tire friction) while most of it goes into “reshaping” your car when it hits the oncoming car (which is also reshaped into a lawsuit). But a significant amount of kinetic energy is absorbed by the body. And this is more so if the occupant is not properly restrained by a seat belt.

The latest safety features include crumple zones, air bags, crash avoidance and automatic braking systems. But these can only do so much. So, to reduce the effects of g-forces on your body, it is imperative to wear a seat belt at all times. Not only will it stop your body from colliding with the car’s interior, it can provide about a foot of extra stretching distance which can drastically reduce the amount of acute g-force exerted on your body. It will also keep you from becoming your own hood ornament.

And, it is always a good idea to practice defensive driving in order to anticipate any possible accident scenarios on the road. Avoid following too close and keep your eyes on the road by avoiding distractions.

Until next week,

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Seat Belts Save Lives – Comedy Defensive Driving

The post Seat Belts Save Lives appeared first on Comedy Defensive Driving®.

Teens and Seat Belts

Daun Thompson — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 17:11:02 +0000

I was under the impression that the majority of people that don’t wear seat belts are the elderly. Since wearing a seat belt (or what they used to call a “safety belt”) became a law in 1986, the elderly have spent most of their lives not being required to wear a seat belt, so perhaps they never really caught on or got comfortable with it. My elderly parents would drive from Illinois to Texas sans-belt (that’s French for “no belt”). My Mother says that wearing the seat belt would wrinkle her outfit. But going through the windshield would surely put a few wrinkles in her outfit and her head, etc. It seems that teen boys have adopted this attitude about not wearing seat belts. My position as a Defensive Driving Instructor does not require that I lecture or “mother” teens about wearing a seat belt. And it seems that teen girls do typically wear seat belts. So, what’s the deal with teens and seat belts?

One would think that the hefty fine alone would encourage compliance with the seat belt law. And not only the fine but since not wearing a seat belt is a moving violation, one would have the option of possibly reducing the price of the ticket and taking a defensive driving course to have the ticket dismissed. Or, if not, the points will be applied to your driving record and your insurance will increase. That would certainly modify my behavior. According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT), motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of death among teenagers. And, in Texas, teen drivers have the highest incidence of unbuckled fatalities. Statistics show that in 2015, 293 teen drivers and passengers (age 15-20) died. Of those fatalities, 115 of them (39%) were not wearing seat belts.

The law in this state requires everyone in the vehicle to wear a seat belt, one seat belt for each passenger and driver in the vehicle. No more sitting on laps or sharing seat belts (i.e. no more clown car action). “Who” gets the ticket for not wearing a seatbelt in Texas, depends on their age. If anyone under 17 (under age) is not wearing a seat belt, the driver will get the citation. Anyone 17 or older (of age) will receive the citation. Although I did have an unfortunate 16 year old girl in my class who had received a citation for speeding through a 20mph school zone, and had also received two seat belt citations because her 16 year old friends were not wearing their seat belts. Although she was under 17, she still got their citations. The officer could have also cited her for having more than one non-family member under 21 in the car with her. So it could have been worse. Still, I bet her parents were not pleased. My parents would have killed me and started all over again, creating new, cheaper offspring.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Teens and Seat Belts – Comedy Defensive Driving

The post Teens and Seat Belts appeared first on Comedy Defensive Driving®.

Seat Belts In The Car

Daun Thompson — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 19:49:59 +0000

When I was a kid, you didn’t have to wear seat belts in the car. Safety was an “option.” Now, if you and your kids are not buckled up, they’ll fry you. Not just the law, but other parents won’t hesitate to let you have it if they see your kids aren’t wearing one or secured in a car seat or booster seat. The national safety belt law went into effect in 1986. Before that, we had seat belts in cars, but they were just cloth lap belts, conveniently tucked down into the seat. My mom’s arm was our seat belt. My dad used to call her “The Seat Belt.” Years later, he started calling her “The Air Bag.” I thought it was just people of my parents’ generation that didn’t wear seat belts. But now, I hear young men between 17 and 24 years of age that tell me they don’t wear a seat belt. When asked why, they say it’s just not cool. Plus it’s uncomfortable. That’s exactly what my Mom would say about the seat belt. She and my Father would drive to Texas all the way from Illinois. And they would never wear their seat belts. My Mother, much like these young guys that don’t wear their seat belts, would say that the seat belt is uncomfortable and will wrinkle her outfit. Not like going through the windshield won’t wrinkle your outfit and your head as well. So, I resort to lying to my parents when they would come to visit me. Not that I’ve never lied to my parents before, but my parents are 78 years old now. And I’m “yikes” (that’s my new age…”yikes”). If my parents are visiting, and I’m driving them around, I tell them if they don’t buckle up, I, as the driver, will get both of their tickets. Of course that is a blatant lie. In Texas, if anyone under 17 years of age (i.e. under age) is not wearing a seat belt in the car, the driver gets the citation. But, anyone 17 or older (i.e. of age) is not wearing a seat belt, they get their own citation, not the driver. I think that’s fair enough. So my parents would buckle up. They’re from Illinois, so they don’t know Texas laws.

Wearing a seat belt is just a good habit to get into. Not only for safety’s sake, but so you don’t get cited for it. I think they train the police in the academy to be able to see, even through a tinted window, if you’re wearing your seat belt or not. I also think they train them in the academy to be able to tell if you’re lying or not. Just like your parents.
Until next week…buckle up.

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist
Seat Belts In The Car – Comedy Defensive Driving

The post Seat Belts In The Car appeared first on Comedy Defensive Driving®.

Seat Belt Laws

Daun Thompson — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 16:45:00 +0000

I am a baby boomer, a product of the 1960’s. My Father and Mother were both from lower middle class families. Rising above, my Father’s success measured in new cars. Like that ’68 Toronado convertible with an 8-Track tape player, blasting the Ventures. One thing different about this new car is that it had seat belts. But they were cloth, lap seat belts that were always conveniently tucked down into the seat. My Mom’s arm was our seat belt, and she can still pack a wallop today! My Father used to call her the seat belt. Later in life, he would refer to her as the airbag. In fact, since 1966, laws were put in place that required automobile manufacturers to make seat belts a standard feature in all cars produced. However, federal law did not require that drivers and passengers use seat belts or assess punitive measures for those who did not. Prior to 1984, safety was an “option.” New York became the first state to pass . And later, other states followed suit. Thank you, Ralph Nader. I think I voted for you once.

Yes, we baby boomers grew up in a time of social change. It was a time of free love, countercultural values and safety actually being an “option.” Where was the logic? Prior to seat belt laws, we had steel dashboards covered in a paper-thin layer of vinyl. You could actually stand up on the seat if you were small enough. Most of my cousins wear “bangs” to cover a nasty permanent scar as a result. Heck, we would ride in the back window of the car, like a Beanie Baby.

And what safety options are there today? There are too many to list. But, to name a few, we have airbags, anti-lock brakes and sensors for tailgating, drifting, blind spots and hydroplaning. Laws require car seats and booster seats for kids as well. We’ve come a long way.

So, do the right thing. Buckle up your passengers, your kids and yourself. So you and your passengers can live to a ripe old age like the rest of we baby boomers, including George Clooney, Ricky Gervais, Sting, Madonna, Stephen Tyler and Barack Obama.

Until next week…buckle up.

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Seat Belt Laws – Comedy Defensive Driving

The post Seat Belt Laws appeared first on Comedy Defensive Driving®.

Riding In The Back Of A Pickup Truck

Daun Thompson — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:29:18 +0000

Riding In The Back Of A Pickup Truck

Two years ago, when the Texas Governor vetoed the no texting bill, it was a heavy blow and, as far as I am concerned, a big step backward. But I was even more shocked to hear that he had actually passed another bill that prohibits someone from having children in the back of the boat while it is in tow on a roadway. What??? I thought the outdated law of allowing passengers to continue riding in the back of a pickup truck was already a bit silly…what’s next…not allowing people to ride on the wing of a moving airplane?

Is it legal or illegal to ride in the back of a truck in Texas? Technically, Texas law states that it’s legal for people over the age of 18 to ride in the back of a pickup truck. However, just because it is legal doesn’t mean it’s safe – in fact, it’s really not at all. Passengers are unrestrained and unprotected. Even minor obstacles on the roadway (such as potholes or debris) could cause uncomfortable bumps which could certainly result in an injury. If the pickup is involved in a collision (for example, being hit by another driver), then any passengers riding in the back of a pickup truck would almost certainly be ejected and suffer catastrophic injuries. I’ve known of numerous kids flying out and landing on their noodles when I was growing up.

The current Texas law as I know it, states that children under the age of 18 can only ride in the open bed of a pickup truck only under certain circumstances. Such as in a parade, a hay ride, or a sandy beach. Or, on an unpaved road…and kids love gravel flying up at them. Gravel is one of the most understated discipline tools. But you can only drive at a low speed. And not on a highway, only on a lower-speed roadway, such as your farm-to-market road, or the road to your farm (which also has huge craters, great for ejecting kids…which can also be viewed as a discipline tool.) I have also heard that if it is your only family vehicle and you can prove it, you may be allowed to put your children in the back.

With seat belt laws being so strictly enforced now as well as child safety laws, hopefully, we will eventually evolve and this law will be revised to fit with the times.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Comedienne / Writer / Artist / Buckle-Upper

Riding In The Back Of The Pickup – Comedy Defensive Driving

The post Riding In The Back Of A Pickup Truck appeared first on Comedy Defensive Driving®.

DRIVING TIPS FOR TEEN DRIVERS

Lisa — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 16:20:18 +0000

Driving is a privilege, not a right. With this privilege comes responsibilities, obligations and potential consequences.If you or someone you know is a new driver, the following tips may prove invaluable when getting behind the wheel.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of death for 15 to 20 year olds. This accounts for forty percent of all teen deaths.So, teaching your teen to be careful and safe when driving can make the difference in not only their self-preservation, but also that of others.

A good start, is knowing what the laws and restrictions are for teen drivers. According to the DPS, during the one year period following the issuance of a Class C provisional driver license to a person under 18 years of age, the person may not operate a motor vehicle

Between midnight and 5a.m.

With more than one passenger in the vehicle under 21 years of age who is not a family member

While using a wireless communication device.

Another topic of discussion with your teen is the price of insurance. Insurance rates for teens are often double what adults over twenty five pay. Why? Because teens have an average of three accidents between 16 and 20. Some parents find that having their teens pay their own insurance will reduce recklessness and inattention. Distractions are one of the main causes of accidents for new drivers.

In addition to collisions, knowing the current seat belt law, school zone laws, school bus laws, and many other “typically” broken laws are very important to reinforce. Currently, the seat belt law in Texas requires that everyone in the car must wear a safety belt. If the person not wearing the safety belt is of age, they get their own ticket. If under age, the driver gets the ticket. I recently had a 16 year old student tell me that she got a ticket for speeding in front of her high school. The school zone lights were “active” and the ticket was very costly. In addition, her two 16 year old friends were not wearing their seat belts. She got both of the seat belt tickets. So she came home from school that day with a speeding in a school zone ticket and two no seat belt tickets. I don’t know what happened to her, but my parents would have killed me and started all over again. Wiped the slate clean and started a whole new, cheaper family. And she didn’t mention that she wasn’t supposed to have more than one friend in the car with her at a time. Another huge fine. Passing a school bus with it’s alternating flashing red lights is another very dangerous act with a huge fine attached. And knowing what to do on the opposite side of the street from the bus is important to stress, too. Coming to a complete stop at a stop sign or before taking a right at a red light is another. Counting 3 seconds to assure that the car has come to a complete stop is a good habit to get into. Changing lanes in an intersection and having a Hello Kitty bumper sticker are other good reasons for the cops to pull you over.

A few things I will be teaching my teen driver? To practice safe and courteous driving behavior. Perhaps, if she drove as if everyone around her had a small child in the car, maybe she wouldn’t pull any bone-headed moves. Like crossing 3 lanes across traffic to take her exit. And, perhaps if she drove as if everyone had a gun in the car (and in Texas, they do), maybe she’d be a little more courteous out there when she’s driving.

Until next week….be safe!

Daun Thompson

(Daun Thompson is a comedienne, writer and artist residing in Dallas, Texas)

The post DRIVING TIPS FOR TEEN DRIVERS appeared first on Comedy Defensive Driving®.