Hot Rods Seat belts in hot rods, do you have em?

Yes...Whew!

 

WOW! I'm really glad you both made it through OK. Through no fault of your own, in one instant your life can change forever and you can never know what's coming your way.

A few months ago my 84 year old friend and his wife survived a head-on crash in their Subaru with a drunk driver in a F-150 pickup who crossed the center line. The other driver died at the scene. He had a broken leg and severely lacerated hands from the windshield coming in on them. His wife's airbag didn't deploy so most of here injuries came from the seat belt due to her age (osteoporosis). She almost didn't make it. He's a tough old bird that still rides dirt bikes so he came back fairly quickly but his wife is slowly recovering. Stuff like this scares the hell out of me, but I fell off a ladder last weekend onto pavers and that wasn't very pleasant either!

 

[QUOTE="vintagehotrods, post: 11034761, member: 1050"
A few months ago my 84 year old friend and his wife survived a head-on crash in their Subaru with a drunk driver in a F-150 pickup who crossed the center line. He's a tough old bird that still rides dirt bikes so he came back fairly quickly but his wife is slowly recovering. [/QUOTE]

This made my day. I had the whole visual thing going on.

 

So, your real question is-why didn't the airbag deploy? You'll always be able to find some exception to the general rule-that being that restraint systems are better than no restraint systems. In today's vehicles, the side and front airbags and the lap/shoulder belts are, most all the time, better than having you bang around the cabin.

What year Subaru? Why didn't the airbags deploy? FWIW my wife's survived two near fatal collisions, neither her fault, in Subaru's. One was a semi that ran a stop sign, the other was a rear-ender by a F=150 that failed to see that traffic had stopped.

 

I have come to this conclusion after extended government studies here in my office ...................... F-150's should be banned!

Sad but funny about the old 84 year old bike rider. A close personal hot rod buddy is around 84+ and still rides a rice rocket hammer down in the boonies of Florida. Sadly he can't see you waving out the window as you pass him in his car while downtown.

 

F-150's don't kill people. Idiots who can't control a F-150 kill people. Just like stretch pants-just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

 

Just kidding. I'll bet you drive an F-150.
I've seen some little fat gals in stretch pants that look hot. I like camel toes.

 

Here's another vote and very recent reminder of the need for seat belts. I have them (after much personal debate on my own part) in the T in my avatar.

I did not have them in the 32 coupe. It didn't have them when we got it and I never took the time to add them. This is last Saturday afternoon and yes things can happen in the blink of an eye. We're both ok, just beat up and bruised. It will have belts as part of the rebuild.....

 

I have a 28 roadster... really, what good will they do me?? I have a set in the passenger seat for my son to ride. I can now get the wife in the rumble, him in his booster and off we go!

 

I have lap belts in my 55 Ford and my T because FL state law says I have to.

 

I think you are making an assumption that I am asking that. No, I don't question why the air bag didn't deploy. Shit happens. I'm just glad they survived. It was a used car and I thought it was a Subaru but it was actually a 2007 Kia Sorrento when I rechecked the news story on it. Who knows if it had been in an accident previously and not repaired properly. I don't question the value of today's technology or the safety of belts and air bags. I just mentioned it because it was a part of the facts of the accident. Lighten up!

 

This made my day. I had the whole visual thing going on.[/QUOTE]

I'm going to hijack this thread for moment to tell you a little about them. If you are offended, scroll on by.

Dan is one of a kind. He was a Daytona winner in the 60's and 70's. Here he is on Pappy Hoel's (the man who started the Sturgis Bike Week) Yamaha at Daytona in 1966 on the starting grid. They are a racing family.


Dan racing the vintage class a few years ago (above) and last year at Sturgis, SD


His wife Kathy racing on her Triumph Terrier 150 (skirt and all!).

The Deubler family in the 70's

Dan just turned 84 and still trail rides. He has raced in vintage flat track events the last few years, recently with his son Eddie and grandson Scotty ( https://twitter.com/scottiedeubler ) who happens to announce most AMA Pro Races. Three generations on the track at once. I raced flat track in the 70's and 80's in Sioux Falls, SD on Bultaco Astro's and Dan was THE Bultaco and flat track guru. He helped me out in racing and we all would trail ride in the mountains of Colorado every July. Dan is STILL RIDING there, though but probably not this year (but you never know with Dan!) He used to lead us and when we crossed a mountain stream he would go first and wait on the other side, camera ready. Then he would usually direct us to the deepest spot (we thought he was helping us newbies) and then get great pics of us floundering! One time I remember riding in a thunderstorm in the mountains with lightning striking around us! Or riding on game trails on the side of very steep mountains. More than once I didn't think I'd survive the day riding with Dan! Like I said, he is one tough old bird!

There is a GoFundMe page to help them recover from this accident here: http://www.gofundme.com/DeublerStrong

 

YIKES!!!! Glad you are OK. What happened? What's the rest of the story?

 

lap belts in the 5 window. they were a condition of employment for 37 years,kinda got used to them.

 

2muchstuff I wasn't ready for that picture. Glad you guys are okay. I know I should know better. I've seen it happen. Still I forget customs and rods can be in accidents.
If anything this thread should convince more owners to add and use seat belts. Who cares if they may not help everyone. They'll save one member.

 

I have lap belts in my 53 Chevrolet.

A CROW 4" on the left a 2" latch type on the right with plans (and the belts) to add 2 in the back.

I will be running real military belts in my Model A. Full harness on the left laps on the right.

 

I'm plenty calm, but if I were the victim I would sure like to know why. Of course, a used Kia is not a Subaru. I,too, am glad they're ok.

 

2muchstuff - Wow, really good to hear that there was not more damage to the human parts. keep us posted on your recovery, and the coupe's too.

 

A veteran state trooper once told me he had been to several fatal accidents. Said he never unbuckled a dead man.

 

Required by law down here. With fresh builds (defined as having less than 60% of original body and/or 60% of original frame) we need three way retractable belts. If built before 1955 then you are not required to have seatbelts.

My bucket has a 6 point cage and a 5 point harness, my daily driver 48 Chev truck has three way retractables with a lapbelt in the middle and my wifes 37 Topolino has three way retractables also.

Having been thru a screen as a young guy, (self inflicted injuries) I never drive anywhere without my belt on.

 

Lap belts for all 6 spots

 

I have seen the outcomes of the seatbelt issue both ways and the what ifs. And there is a reason medical people ask after an accident how fast you were going and if you were wearing a seatbelt. To me if it is your time to go it don't matter if you are wearing them or not. I use them and will be putting them in my model A build.

 

How did you manage that?

 

I'm a real dickhead on the topic. Not really sure if I want to get thrown from a 30s car in a wreck or get impaled by deformed wood and sheet metal boxes. Newer cars were designed with crush zones and folding hoods, frames that drop the motor/trans to the ground in a full frontal. Also spent 5 years working crash n safety for new cars (02 thru 07) and watched a crash at "the barrier" in Dearborn. With all of that knowledge and realization of what can happen, I still rebel against the forced use of protective equipment. I will NOT wear a seat belt in a good rain for local driving. If "Mr Badge" wants to ticket me in a storm for no belt I'll pay the $65 to watch him get soaked (told you I'm a dickhead). I wear them in winter, on and off on the freeway, seldom to never for local hops. Will I put em in some of my cars? Yes I will. Use em? Maybe, maybe not, but for those who want to ride with me and have em they'll be there. Another story, one of our street racer pals was driving his car wearing a 5pt racing harness. Got a ticket for no seat belts. Took em out and took em to court to show the judge what he was wearing. The car was capable of mid 9s back then but he didn't tell that to the judge, just explained the superiority. Case dismissed. Frankly I'd rather be strapped in with a harness vs the automatic shit in newer stuff. With a bad back and the sensitive nature of the inertia locks, bouncing down a bad road puts me in a mood I don't even like. It fuckin hurts, plain and simple, when that bitch won't let my seat absorb the bumps. With a harness I can decide the limits of movement and they really are quite comfy. Even the lap and over the shoulders would be superior to anything OEM or those skinny little imported fucks. My input, FWIW, your results may vary, tax n title extra, blah, blah, blah...

 

Using 2muchstuff as an example and not trying to offend or otherwise pick on him, I wonder what injuries him and his rider would have gotten IF THEY WERE WEARING SEAT BELTS? I realize they both are hurting now from getting tossed around and ending up on the floor. With belts of any kind they would have been hanging there.
I really don't like the thought of hanging in a car that's upside down with a gas tank.
All we hear is "seat belts save lives." We rarely hear "good thing they weren't wearing seat belts when that car went in the lake." It seems like luck plays a big part in the outcome.
I forgot to mention, I even added three lap belts in the back seats of my old cars if passengers care to use them. Seat belts are something I hate. But use just to get our kids to keep using them in later cars. I rarely wear a motorcycle helmet and realize they do help. I have an old cracked helmet to prove it.
Also my wife went thru the windshield of a 50's Chevy pickup when she was in her early teens. Still she only uses seat belts because the law says she has to. We've given up too many freedom of choices.

 

I Just got back home from the Doctor/Doctor's and after having several X rays on my left wrist,I am wearing a restrictive mobility cast and I have a appointment to see the orthopedic surgeon tomorrow,he will make a determination tomorrow if I will be in a hard cast or will be scheduled for surgery. HRP

 

Wishing you a quick recovery and hopefully without surgery Danny!

 

Well Hell, Danny, sorry to hear that news, been waiting for further news from you. Brenda OK?

 

Thanks guys.yeah,I'm hoping I can avoid surgery and thank the Lord Brenda wasn't hurt except for her feelings. HRP

 

........................Geez, Danny, I didn't know about it until I read this thread just now. Glad it was no worse than it was. Speedy recovery for you and Brenda...........Don.