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Main Page Do You Wear Your Seatbelt On Duty?
(Click here to view the original thread on the MassCops Message Board)

Posted by: 209

Are you for or against seatbelt use while on patrol. I brought this when reading an article about an Officer that was killed in a car accident.

I say yes and no depending on circumstances. As for out of town travel for training I do wear one.

[For all the non-LEO lurkers Police Officers are exempt from wearing seatbelts while on duty. (See MGL for more specifics).]

((Damn spelling errors...You guyes get the jist))

Posted by: stm4710

Generally not. Its uncomfertable and gets caught in my holster or radio depending on what side I sit on. I just loop it behind the seat so that stupid alarm shuts off.

Posted by: ermal3k

I am not a police officer and to tell you the truth not having a seatbelt save my life and the one of 3 other of my friends... the fifth one didn't make it...

Posted by: Delta784

Any police officer who doesn't wear a seatbelt is a complete and total moron.

My favorite are the rookies who wear a vest, but not their seatbelt. They obviously have no clue that they're much more likely to be involved in a cruiser crash than to be shot.

Posted by: Danman

so you saying you dont wear a vest

Posted by: diamondcutter34

guess I am a moron. I wear it 100% in per vehicle. The cruiser only when in pursuits. I have had the seatbelt stuck on my holster and choke me out on several occasions when I exited my cruiser quickly.

Posted by: LA Copper

I have to agree, just as many officers (if not more), are hurt and killed each year in car accidents as are shot.

As for me, I always wear the belt on main streets, 'cause that's where higher speeds and drunk drivers are. The only time I take it off is when I'm cruising a gang neighborhood where there's a possiblity of being sniped at or ambushed. I believe we had 28 such incidents last year.

Posted by: Delta784

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danman

so you saying you dont wear a vest

No, I wear it every shift.

Quote:

Originally Posted by diamondcutter34

guess I am a moron. I wear it 100% in per vehicle. The cruiser only when in pursuits. I have had the seatbelt stuck on my holster and choke me out on several occasions when I exited my cruiser quickly.

Then you're seriously uncoordinated. Unbuckle, pull the belt directly in front of you, then throw it to your left as hard as you can. I've done this many, many times and have yet to get hung-up.

Posted by: Mitpo62

No seatbelt here either; gets tied up with the pillow. No vest either. Knucklehead!

Posted by: phuzz01

Always, always, always, just like the vest. This job is dangerous enough even with the seatbelt and vest.

Getting out of the car efficiently without getting caught up in the belt just takes a little practice. Then it is second nature...

Posted by: andy0921

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delta784

Unbuckle, pull the belt directly in front of you, then throw it to your left as hard as you can. I've done this many, many times and have yet to get hung-up.

I agree with Delta on both of his post.
I don't understand why people in general not just police officers don't wear the belt.

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Posted by: dcs2244

Quote:

Originally Posted by ermal3k

I am not a police officer and to tell you the truth not having a seatbelt save my life and the one of 3 other of my friends... the fifth one didn't make it...

Bullsh%t flag. Anecdotal evidence.

Yes, there are times when a seat belt wouldn't have helped...like when the citizen yaws into a tree face first. If the vehicle rolls over, and the body not wearing a seat belt is ejected, the most common result is that the vehicle rolls over them.

I had Bobby O'Toole, (BPD, you know, world series fame

) for EVOC at the Weymouth Naval Air Station: he made the same assertion that Delta did...and that was in 1984.

If you don't wear your seat belt, you're tempting fate. Like many have said, it's more likely that you will be in a collision than a gun fight. Why chance a career ending injury?

And, yeah, I always wear mine...even when I was poking around Hollywood or the North End...it never slowed me down getting out of the car, because it becomes habit to remove it...MUSCLE MEMORY...just like your firearm.

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Posted by: lawdog671

I never understood the "not wearing it saved my life" comments. I mean I'm happy that you're okay, but I think that sends the wrong message to people reading this. I would be willing to bet that seatbelts save FAR more lives than cause fatalities, through prevention of ejections in high speed crashes, bouncing around the interior of MV during abrupt stops, windshields etc....
Far as in cruiser mine's ALWAYS on. You practice all your other skills, firearms, DT, etc. with repetitions, so why not with one of the few pieces of gear we DO get that can save your life? Compounding that, if you only wear it when you're not under stress in your PC, then put it on when you're under stress during a pursuit, with all the adrenaline and lack of muscle memory, you really think that you're NOT gonna choke yourself with it? I'd say wear it all the time, make it a natural thing, and like for me personally, I don't even realize it's there anymore and comes off when it needs to without any thought now. Not trying to offend anyone, just questioning the logic..

Posted by: dcs2244

NOW HEAR THIS! NOW HEAR THIS!

Sir Isaac Newtons First Law of Motion:

Every body at rest tends to remain at rest, whereas every body in motion tends to remain in motion, unless it is acted upon by an unbalanced external force.

This is called INERTIA. The vehicle one is driving or riding in is going 55 mph. So are the occupants. If the car is stopped by an "external force", say, a tree, the car accelerates to zero mph. Abruptly. If one is not wearing one's seat belt, one continues to travel at 55 mph, until stopped by an "external force": steering wheel, windshield, floor boards ("submarine", or just jamming your femurs through your pelvis and into your thoracic cavity) or dashboard. Additionally, this is why flying saucers must have "inertia-less drive": they couldn't make the abrupt changes of direction they do without "smushing" the occupants

.

There are two kinds of people: those who have studied and passed high school physics, and hod carriers.

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Posted by: Banshees'Will

POV--100% I wear it.
Company Car--Pursuits or en route to hot calls I'll put it on, I never put it behind me & buckle it. On patrol I rarely go over 30-35 mph, unless with the blues on, then the belt goes on

Like LACopper, sometimes your in "it" before you know you were invited, and having a seat belt on could be a factor that slows you down enough to get yourself killed.
When's the last time you've been in a chase and parked the cruiser properly, turned off the lights, siren and radio, turned the wheel to the curb, set the brake, turned off the ignition, removed the keys, unbuckled your belt, locked the doors?
I guess I'll give it a try this week wearing it 100% on patrol...
Anyone up for the "CLICK IT" for a week challange?
I'll let you know if I change my original opinion.

Posted by: andy0921

Posted by: dcs2244

Quote:

Originally Posted by andy0921

Posted by: DeputyFife

Always...I'll even put it back on when returning to the cruiser to run a license, write a V, or whatever!

Posted by: andy0921

From Ford officer safety...

Safety Belt Use Many agencies have policies requiring seat belt use when the vehicle is in motion, but there is also a definite advantage to seat belt use when the vehicle is parked at an accident scene or on the side of the road during a traffic stop. It is in these circumstances that it is most vulnerable to a collision from oncoming traffic. An unbelted officer becomes a projectile in his own vehicle if he is not safely secured with his seat belt system.
Agencies are encouraged to review their seat belt usage policies for seat belt usage

Posted by: Motorcop

You cannot control your vehicle while flopping around in the seat and trying to hang on to the steering wheel. You need a light grip on the wheel to feel what the front tires are doing and you need to be very snug in the seat to feel what the rear tires are doing through your ass. I have seen an officer thrown out of the seat during a breaking exercise because he forgot to put his seat belt back on after getting back in the car.

Posted by: robinlow

I was in a mva, sitting in traffic and a car came and ram into the front of my car. My airbags exploded in my face, and it probably saved me, or probably not. Nothing I could do, but the airbag was not really there to save me much as the accident was not serious. But no seatbelts, and the car detected it and the airbags exploded hard I got a bloody nose becasue of the airbag. I did not even jerk forward much.

I was in another mva, driving in a blizard. Car spun 360 degrees and plowed into a snowbank. Was wearing seatbelts and the airbags deployed. Airbags was not as hard, and together with seatbelt and airbag, nothing happened, and face did not hurt like when my seatbelts were off.

Lesson learned: No seatbelts, even when accident is minor, airbag could hurt you as it deploys harder.

I would suggest that wearing seatbelts is a good thing even in the most minor of accidents. If not for the case it can save your life, wear it so the airbag does not kill you.

Posted by: 94c

Quote:

Originally Posted by robinlow

I was in a mva, sitting in traffic and a car came and ram into the front of my car. My airbags exploded in my face, and it probably saved me, or probably not. Nothing I could do, but the airbag was not really there to save me much as the accident was not serious. But no seatbelts, and the car detected it and the airbags exploded hard I got a bloody nose becasue of the airbag. I did not even jerk forward much.

I was in another mva, driving in a blizard. Car spun 360 degrees and plowed into a snowbank. Was wearing seatbelts and the airbags deployed. Airbags was not as hard, and together with seatbelt and airbag, nothing happened, and face did not hurt like when my seatbelts were off.

Lesson learned: No seatbelts, even when accident is minor, airbag could hurt you as it deploys harder.

I would suggest that wearing seatbelts is a good thing even in the most minor of accidents. If not for the case it can save your life, wear it so the airbag does not kill you.

Seatbelts? Maybe you should try public transportation

Posted by: OutOfManyOne

No seatbelt, i drive around town at 20-30 mph and sit at Dunkin Donuts most of my shift. My vest is in the trunk and take it out when i need it.

Posted by: phuzz01

Another thing to consider is that if your agency has a policy requiring seatbelt use, and you don't wear it, they may try to deny you disability benefits if you are injured in a crash and they think your injuries could have been prevented by wearing the belt.

Posted by: ermal3k

Quote:

Originally Posted by lawdog671

I never understood the "not wearing it saved my life" comments. I mean I'm happy that you're okay, but I think that sends the wrong message to people reading this. I would be willing to bet that seatbelts save FAR more lives than cause fatalities, through prevention of ejections in high speed crashes, bouncing around the interior of MV during abrupt stops, windshields etc....
..

I am pretty sure you go the msg that I was trying to give with "not wearing it saved my life" the car fall 300 feet down a mountain... I was the first one that got ejected from the car and my friends after me... If we had seatbelts on at the moment would've either been crushed in the car or bleed to death because the nearest firefighter station was 3 hours from where we crashed and none of the people that helped us had any tools to open that car... The only reason we had no seatbelts is because we just got out of a restaurant having breakfast and forgot to put the seatbelts... 3 min later we crashed... I ALWAYS PUT MY SEATBELT NO MATTER WHAT AND I AM SURE THAT IT HAS SAVED MORE LIVES THAT NOT WEARING ONE... Just some times you don't know what live brings you...

Posted by: Delta784

Quote:

Originally Posted by ermal3k

Because after all, incidents of cars crashing 300 feet down the side of a mountain, 3 hours away from a fire station are so very common......

Posted by: OutOfManyOne

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delta784

Because after all, incidents of cars crashing 300 feet down the side of a mountain, 3 hours away from a fire station are so very common......

Don't you guys get lots of these at the Quincy quarries.

Posted by: ermal3k

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delta784

Because after all, incidents of cars crashing 300 feet down the side of a mountain, 3 hours away from a fire station are so very common......

Hahah very funny... If you die in a car accident how many times will you die? Ill make sure when I have to go somewhere with my friends next time Ill just drive around the fire station in Quincy this way if get into an accident the "chances" that Ill die waiting for them are 0...

Posted by: frapmpd24

Quote:

Originally Posted by ermal3k

Not to diminish the fact that surviving a 300 foot plunge off a mountain is incredible, it is also quite an extreme example of an accident to use in an arguement for or against wearing seatbelts. It would be like arguing whether to roll up your windows because it's where you can get thrown out of the car during the plunge down the cliff or if locking the doors is safe or not because in a horrible wreck like that the door could get jammed and trap you inside.

If you fly 300 off a mountain, whether your buckled in the car or ejected out of it, that is still one hell of an impact either way and likely other factors aside from seatbelt use having an effect on survival. Yeah, cars are built with impact or crush zones too which absorb the crash in certain areas, but in such wild circumstances like that, they're a moot issue too. Unless ofcourse it is the old Volvo commercials with the car going off the roof...

Posted by: DodgeRam

Some of the seatbelts are cut off and the clip is in the holder to make the beeping stop.

Posted by: Crvtte65

i like the belt extenders, makes it easier to get on/off with the gear on.

Posted by: Delta784

Quote:

Originally Posted by OutOfManyOne

Don't you guys get lots of these at the Quincy quarries.

We had plenty of cars crash into the quarries before they were filled, but none of the vehicles were occupied.

Posted by: redpara

It gets stuck in your holster? Chokes you out?...... press the red (orange for the color challenged) part.. follow delta 784's directions, it's not that hard.

Posted by: EOD1

Quote:

Originally Posted by phuzz01

Another thing to consider is that if your agency has a policy requiring seatbelt use, and you don't wear it, they may try to deny you disability benefits if you are injured in a crash and they think your injuries could have been prevented by wearing the belt.

If some of you have life insurance policies check that also. I know my life insurance has a seatbelt clause in it.

Posted by: chief801

17 yrs., never pulled a corpse out of a seatbelt...

Posted by: Cartman

I wear my seatbelt on duty, and off duty because I want to. It is Dept policy, but I wouldn't be too concerned with that. When I first started, I didn't wear it. Then, after a higher speed chase, I decided that I should wear it while working. After a while, I thought that it was silly to wear it while working, and not wear it when not working. I have been wearing it all the time for quite some time now. There is more of a likleyhood of being in an accident (I've been in a couple) then being shot at. I believe statistics will show that more officers are killed in car crashes than other types of violence.

Posted by: USMCMP5811

Quote:

Originally Posted by chief801

17 yrs., never pulled a corpse out of a seatbelt...

Discussed in lenghth...........

http://www.masscops.com/forums/showt...ight=seat+belt

Posted by: crimsonwings

wow, this was informative. I did not realize you guys had an option of not wearing a seat belt. The reason why you dont, make sense though, but I think I would always wear one if I were a PO.

Posted by: lawdog671

ERMAL
I am pretty sure you go the msg that I was trying to give with "not wearing it saved my life" the car fall 300 feet down a mountain... I was the first one that got ejected from the car and my friends after me... If we had seatbelts on at the moment would've either been crushed in the car or bleed to death because the nearest firefighter station was 3 hours from where we crashed and none of the people that helped us had any tools to open that car...
You know it took me a second to figure out who you were for a second, while I'm scratching my head trying to figure out your last post it dawned on me. YOURE the ass who cried on here under the 89-4B thread about getting gigged for driving in the BDL...so obviously you're not on the job. From your VAST experience in responding to car crashes I should just shut up then because your life experience far outweighs the hundreds of crashes I've been to as a professional. And we all know that there are tons of roadways in MASS that have 300ft plunges HOURS from police or fire response.
Maybe you should read more and post less here.

Posted by: Mitpo62

Posted by: justanotherparatrooper

Quote:

Originally Posted by lawdog671

ERMAL
I am pretty sure you go the msg that I was trying to give with "not wearing it saved my life" the car fall 300 feet down a mountain... I was the first one that got ejected from the car and my friends after me... If we had seatbelts on at the moment would've either been crushed in the car or bleed to death because the nearest firefighter station was 3 hours from where we crashed and none of the people that helped us had any tools to open that car...
You know it took me a second to figure out who you were for a second, while I'm scratching my head trying to figure out your last post it dawned on me. YOURE the ass who cried on here under the 89-4B thread about getting gigged for driving in the BDL...so obviously you're not on the job. From your VAST experience in responding to car crashes I should just shut up then because your life experience far outweighs the hundreds of crashes I've been to as a professional. And we all know that there are tons of roadways in MASS that have 300ft plunges HOURS from police or fire response.
Maybe you should read more and post less here.

NIce catch Lawdog!!!

Posted by: Barbrady

NC LEO exempt by statute as well, department policy supersedes. I never wore the belt much until I moved down here...because you will get pulled for it. Once you get used to wearing it becomes second nature.

Posted by: flipperswitch

Most of the time I patroll areas where I never have occasion to go above 30mph, in which case I opt to forgo the seatbelt. However, anytime I have occasion to drive faster than 30mph, the belt goes on first. Off duty I never roll 5 feet without it.

Posted by: LPD020

Yeah, yeah, all the time guy.

Posted by: Mongo

Seatbelts are over rated.

Don't have one on my motorcycle

Posted by: Opie

Dept. Policy says I have to wear it.

It's like second nature to wear it in the cruiser, but in my POV I have to remind myself. I Don't get it.

Posted by: nypdbronxcop

I never wore it in an RMP until one night we were flying to a child being assaulted. A car came through a intersection going the wrong way on a 1 way. We veered to avoid T-boning it and slamed into a parked van, and we bounced back about 5 feet.

The entire front end was destroyed, and the airbags went off. Of course the perp in the other car took off. I didn't have a belt on.

We were ok, thank god. The only fatality was my fresh cup of coffee.

Oh, BTW, the job was a fake 911 call, unfounded. Guys, its not worth it to fly to a job, UNLESS its a cop calling for help

Posted by: billb

Always wear it in my POV. I used to not wear it on duty for sames reasons as other posters... new leadership started hammering us for it. Now I wear it all and have no regrets... you get used to it and can remove it quickly. Just another muscle memory drill.

Posted by: dcs2244

billb, if you have the muscle memory from operating your POV, it will accompany you to your cruiser...

There is no reason not to wear the seat belt. Period.

Posted by: Robert35

75% no

Posted by: kojack1

cruiser-- yes pov-- sometimes, don't know why

Posted by: Robert35

Seat Belts we don't need no Stinking Seat Belts

Posted by: Mikey682

I'd prefer the taste of my cruiser's windshield remain a mystery to me.

Posted by: MPD1000

I was against wearing a seatbelt for years. I believed I could get trapped in the cruiser in a bad accident or I would not be able to release the belt fast enough in a shotting incident. This might sound stupid, but I trained releasing the belt rapidly. Know I take my belt off sometimes and don't realize it is already off when I go to release it and get out of the cruiser.

Posted by: LA Copper

On the highways and main roads, always wear a seatbelt. We're just as likely to get killed in a car accident as we are getting shot.

While driving in the "hood," the seatbelt is off. If we're gonna get ambushed or sniped at, the "hood" is usually where it's gonna happen.. Gotta be flexible.

Posted by: friedrichleonhardsberger

Usually I wear it.
Sometimes I do not (when pursuing someone)

Posted by: sf3pox1

Before I was ever on patrol I was one of those guys that would ALWAYS wear a seatbelt no matter how long I would be in the car, or what seat, etc. Since I have been working now, on patrol I find myself wearing it less and less.

I am not happy at myself, but I think it is a bad habit I picked up doing ride alongs, and now I gotta get rid of it.

Posted by: Unit7

im a security officer and when im doing mobile patrol on a road i put the old crash belt on, in the approved parking lots i dont. but thats my $.02

Posted by: trueblue

Quote:

Originally Posted by OutOfManyOne

No seatbelt, i drive around town at 20-30 mph and sit at Dunkin Donuts most of my shift. My vest is in the trunk and take it out when i need it.

OutOfManyOne Maybe I'm missing something.......but I've worn my vest for 25 years because I NEVER know and will never know when I might need it.

Posted by: ninety_four_c

I only wear it when I leave the station, and I try not too.

Posted by: Sticktime

I don the seat belt on just before I get into an accident.

Posted by: FRPDConstable

I have been away for a while. But in regards to this I do not wear it most of the time because i can not access my firearm... If i am going to a call a distance away where i need to get there fast I will put it on and take it off just before going on location

Posted by: sluggie371

no seatbelt no insurance pay out to your family when you go threw the windshield. Look it up!!!!!! People are so stupid some times. When was the last time you needed to access your fire arm while driving.. Wait I know never. GO BACK TO SLEEP.... MANY people to serve in the AM Constable.

Posted by: USMCMP5811

Quote:

Originally Posted by sluggie371

When was the last time you needed to access your fire arm while driving.. Wait I know never. GO BACK TO SLEEP....

Sounds like you need to WAKE THE FUCK UP! just because it hasn't happened yet, who's to say that it never will? times are changing and I'd rather be prepared than to have to deal with the "Oh Shit factor"

Posted by: sluggie371

The COMMISH is up and felling salty at 0145. Must be in front of the mirror practicing the quick draw. Best defense is not to Offense.

Posted by: USMCMP5811

Quote:

Originally Posted by sluggie371

The COMMISH is up and felling salty at 0145. Must be in front of the mirror practicing the quick draw. Best defense is not to Offense.

Maybe you should take your own advise then.

Posted by: sluggie371

MAYBE I am alls quiet in Central MA. Pratice makes perfect. Train as you work or work as you train.

Posted by: Mongo

If your coming into a bad area it should come off automaticly in case you hit da shit.

Posted by: LA Copper

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mongo

If your coming into a bad area it should come off automaticly in case you hit da shit.

Totally agree. I always wear it on the main roads and when driving "hard" to a "hot" call. However, when driving through a gang area, it comes off 'cause that's where we're most likely to encounter an ambush.

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