Seatbelt saved my life last night...
 

So last night I was out driving with some friends. My Miata was actually totaled about a week and a half ago ( girl pulled out 15 feet in front of me on a busy road). So I was riding in my friends mustang. I was in the front right passenger seat and my roommate was in the back right seat. We were only about 2 minutes from my apartment and it had been raining. The rain had stopped but the roads were still wet.

We were driving and my friend ( the one driving) said " you think I can break lose" and I said back " Ya...." I said it in a way as "ya you can... and don't try to." He hits the gas tires break lose and we were going straight and then the car started to turn right. He didn't compensate at all for the change in direction.

Next thing I knew we went up the curb and the back left side of the car clipped a power line pole which sent the car sliding to the right some where we took a tree completely out and then collided head on with another tree. Estimated speed when hopping the curb was between 40-47 mph. We hardly slowed down at all on the grass since it was so wet/slick. The pole really didn't slow us down at all cause it was a small clip.

The first tree we hit slowed us down to about 30-35 mph and thats when we hit the other tree head on. The tree we took out was nearly as thick as the tree that stopped us. I never EVER ride in a car without my seatbelt. This was the most violent crash I have ever been in. I didn't see the trees so I didn't brace myself very much. I don't know if it was cause I closed my eyes or if maybe my brain wasn't comprehending what was happening. The airbag felt like Mike Tyson punching me as hard as he could in my face.

My friend that was driving and that was in the back were fine. I stumbled out of the car and laid against the fence where I started throwing up a little bit. My head felt like it was in a vice grip being compressed by all sides and I was extremely dizzy. I didn't even notice that I had a massive gash in my left leg until I felt the blood running down my leg.

I didn't really look to see how bad the car was because I was in so much pain the entire time, but from what I saw the front of the car had been pushed back about 2-3 feet. The police came and said they were calling the EMS. I just laid next to the fence the whole time until the firetruck got there. They check me out and said it didn't look like I had a concussion. I told them I didn't want a ambulance ride (very expensive). My head started to feel a little better and I didn't feel like puking as much anymore. They checked my pulse and it seemed fine.

They told my roommate to watch me that night just in case. I got back to the apartment and cleaned my wounds. My right leg had a very large cut/ abrasion not sure from what. My guess is that it was from the plastic on the dash. Under my chin there is a large abrasion ( probably from the seatbelt). When the police and firemen were there checking me out they asked me if I was wearing my seatbelt and I told them " If I wasn't wearing my seatbelt I would of gone through the window and into the tree"

I was EXTREMELY mad at my friend. This wreck was completely preventable. He was telling me he was really sorry and what not. Besides the injuries I had we are all very lucky to have walked away as we did.

I am nervous every time I get in a car now. Today I was riding with a different friend ( not in the wreck) going to the car impound where the mustang got towed and a guy ran a red light and came about 10 feet from T-boning us.

I have no doubt that the seatbelt saved my life or at least kept me from very serious injury. The airbag did mess my head up pretty bad though, I think it was good it was there. I was happy that a tree branch didn't come through the window and impale someone.

Went to the ER today and got 18 stitches in the gash on my left leg. Turns out I had a minor concussion.

Just want to put it out there that EVERYONE should ALWAYS wear their seatbelt.

Good to hear you are OK!

I can't imagine anyone driving around without a seatbelt. I put mine on as soon as the key is turned to ignition, and usually before I even let out the clutch after putting the trans in neutral.

Wow, glad you only have minor injuries! Only time I have ever really been a passenger in a fast car was in a Ruf Porsche on the track going 180+mph!!

Wow, that sounds a little rediculous. That whole matter of things just beyond my comprehension. I know people get nervous when they drive with me, though some seek it out. However, that doesn't even make much sense to me. Even in my tiny little stock miata, after a rain i can unintentionally spin tires and do from time to time. If I'm ever doing something "intentionally" it's always with the best attention payed to the surroundings and immediate recognition of something amiss.

I ALWAYS wear my seatbelt and always tell my passenger to. Really sounds like you should get your friend some driving lessons, perhaps some ice driving lessons.

Typical Mustang driver:jerkit:

I'm pretty sure that if someone i was riding with did something so stupid, i'd more then likely beat his face.


And another example of airbags doing more harm then good.

Glad you're OK. What's really cool is in a week or 10 days or so, you can pull your own stitches out. They come out kind of like shoe laces, and it's actually kind of fun to do, especially if they're the thicker stitches.

Where's the challenge in breaking loose the tires in the wet?

Glad you're not dead.

Feel sorry for you that you have friends that drive mustangs.

Thats ridiculous.

I am not ultra religious but if I was you I would go to your place of worship and make a small donation.

As for your friend... well... freaking idiot is all I have to say. Who's dumb enough to try and break traction at speed? In the rain much less. Maybe from a dead stop, but cmon.

Its good you dident brace youself, woulda done more harm. You are supposed to go limp.

glad to hear your ok!

true, i do more harm to my girlfriend when i don't go limp

lol...

I am very thankful I got away with the minor injuries I have.

Glad to hear that you are OK, you really should have gone straight to the emergency room. Even a minor concussion can be a serious issue before all is said and done. Your friends insurance would have covered your ER visit, that's why we pay for the med coverages in all basic insurance plans.

As far as your friend - IDIOT comes to mind, NOT a friend when they will risk other people to do stupid stuff. EVERYONE basically knows that wet roads can cause loss of control and most all take that into consideration as to NOT have an accident.

Seatbelts and air bags are very good things to have, using them is the wisest thing anyone could possibly do. There are many who do not use their seatbelts, but most who do not eventually find out the hard way about injuries, and also that an insurance company can deny claims if the belt is not used.

Again, glad you were not more seriously hurt, you will eventually overcome andy fears or hesitations while riding as a passenger with others. Fully understandable that you have that issue at this time.

Me too.

Glad you are ok man.

^Agreed.

Probably head/neck/spinal injury and you didn't go to the ER because it was expensive? That's what insurance is for. It wouldn't cost you a dime.

Even skipping the ambulance and having someone else drive you to the ER is a better option than having an internal head bleed, going to bed and not waking up.

Hope when you feel better you make the driver of the car feel worse! ;-)

definitely take a quick trip to urgent care to get an xray at the least. there are a ton of things that can happen to your neck/head in a crash. hairline fractures in your spine, concussion.. etc etc...

glad youre alive, and i suggest you throw a heavy rock at your friends head.

one thing i try to avoid with passengers is doing stupid shit. if im alone, fine have all the fun i want but not with someone else in the car...

Glad your alright, sounds scary as hell.

When I was a kid my Mom wouldn't start the car until we had our seat belts on. Good way to get kids into the habit. By time I got my own car it was just a habit of putting it on.

Glad your alright, sounds like it hasn't been a very good month for you. Hope everything turns around.

As for your friend with the mustang.......

Finally got some pictures of the wreck...

and don't forget the trees...

That's pretty gnarly.

I hate to jump on the safety-nazi bandwagon (principally because I do tend to drive like somewhat of a loon) but I'm definitely there with you on the seat belt thing.

About 15 years ago I was riding along in a friend's '77 Camaro. We were going down the road at a pretty fair clip (I honestly don't know how fast, but definitely 60MPH+) and as we crested a small hill came upon a minivan stopped in the road about 75 ft ahead. He locked up the brakes and laid four pretty solid stripes all the way to the impact point. We hit the van slightly off-center towards the pax side. The Camaro (being of somewhat more solid construction) actually wound up protruding about two feet into the van, and of course both cars were totaled. We were both wearing seat belts, and despite having to crawl out through the windows walked away with basically zero injuries. Jon cut his hand on a piece of fender that was protruding past the drivers' window, and that was about it.

guys... anytime you are in an accident PLEASE go to the hospital immediately and get checked out. The vehicle insurance should cover the expense as the driver (even if it's you) is liable. The reason I say this is that I was in the emergency room several years back getting a penicillin shot for inflamed tonsils (couldn't swallow). A doctor walked into the ER room next to mine (seperated by curtains) and told a guy "I'm sorry, but there is nothing we can do for you at this point. The pain is going to continue getting worse for a few hours and you will likely die shortly after".

The story behind the guy was that he was involved in an accident a week prior. He didn't get checked out because he felt fine after the accident. Turned out that he had ruptured an internal organ (spleen I think it was) and was bleeding slowly until it started to hurt. He then waited another 2 days after it started hurting before getting it checked out not thinking it was related to the accident. I don't know what happened after that, but I'm sure he was dead before dinner.

AK, I'm glad you're OK. But make sure you get checked out if you are ever in an accident that severe again.

Ya, pretty sure that car isn't going to be able to be repaired. Glad you are ok. I was driving and a guy hit me in my driver side while I was driving my dad's van. He hit me going 40 mph, t-bone, shattered all the glass in on me, busted the door in so it hit my hip bone, and managed to do $8500 of damage. Airbags didn't go off. I felt like crap though. Luckily I didn't have one cut on my body. Bruised up good and had some whiplash though. Stupid people that can't drive piss me off. Some stupid lady t-boned my miata too in the same place, while it was parked and I was working...... If someone hits my miata while I am driving it, I have told myself already I am going to get out and bash their head repeatedly into their hood until they bleed excessively. And on a brighter note, I am a seatbelt nazi myself. :)

about a year ago, i was traveling west on la jolla village drive in san diego, its a 45 road and i was doing 50 when a genius in a Matrix decided to cut across 3 lanes of traffic perpendicularly and stop right in front of me before i really had much reaction time, I hit the brakes and they locked, bad move i know but i rammed the back of the matrix and i cause $6300 worth of damage to my $2200 car . . .i had my seatbelt on with the seat at about a 10 degree layback like i usually do (drive 100miles a day and u'll get used to sitting properly) The seatbelt held me in place perfectly but at the last second because braking wasnt doing anything i tried to duck to the right, which put my left forearm right int he path of the exhaust hole of the airbag, so i got a nice little 'fabric' style burn/rash as well as being hit be the exhaust flames of the airbag, i was SUPER pissed off at the guy that cut me off but i still went up to him politely to ask if he was alright(i knew he WAS, because his car was STOPPED) and he spills this stupid bullshit about his head and neck, and i said 'fuck you' and walked back to my car, he was rather upset but it wasn't till i got back to my car that i saw my arm was bleeding and looked pretty bad from the airbag, once again it did more harm than good but god bless seat belts,
http://i27.tinypic.com/4llveh.jpg

Wow.....I never once thought like that. I have walked away from 2 horrid accidents, and a handful of regular ones ( not all me driving ;) ) and never once went to the hospital, just an ambulance once. Imagine that shit! Damn, I hope I'll retain that info.

The pics are great, later on mixed with the previous story is almost like a virtual crash. Awesome that your ok man! Good thing about the seatbelt. And I will concur with a previous statement that I too would smash my friend across the face as he was doing that shit....no doubt in my mind. :vash:


Vash-

Glad you are OK BTW, i was suprised i was, and i had a 90 pound speakerbox behind my head (yea i know, LOL)
http://i27.tinypic.com/20a5s8x.jpg
Speakerbox + 50MPH impact :ne: Safety

I'm going home this weekend so I'm going to get checked. My doctor is my friends dad so I'm just going to go to their place since the doctor office will be closed.

Sounds like how my car was totaled just about 2.5 weeks ago. All though my wreck wasn't nearly as bad as yours. I swear my short term memory has sucked lately( since about 2-3 days ago)... I can't remember things people just told me or things I just read. I keep saying what did you say? I have been having periodic headaches/ dizzy and have been real lightheaded when I stand up.

aside from having recurrent pains in my wrist, im quite alright after the collision actually. if that speaker box had came loose i'd have been a goner i think, i saw this piece on it on 5th Gear about cargo slinging forward in a collision and F'in you up, i actually, while making it, thought to brace it (plumbers tape) and it held up astonishingly well, but im sorry to hear about your memory loss, seems that, as it hasn't been a long time since, it should return to you over time, i had temp memory loss in an unrelated incident and it came back after a couple months.
I hope you get well though man.

When will people learn not to take rides from nick hogan?

Anyways on a lighter note. If he had any insurance, make sure you have all the medical bills sent to his insurance company. They will also give you a pain and suffering settlement. If they don't, ask for one. Because they may be some long term injuries that you may suffer down the road from something that wasn't your fault. Also make sure you get medical coverage from them for anything that may be related to the accident a years way down the road. (Some injuries hide themselves for some time.)

I was a passenger in a roommates truck, and he blew a stop sign. We got t-boned by a civic going 55MPH, it separated the bed of the truck 2 feet from the cab. (And it hit the cab) I took the ambulance ride though, I was completely fine other than cuts and bruises, and seatbelt burn. But the next day a day outta the hospital I was miserable. Turned out, the accident cracked a vertebrae, and ruptured a disk in my back. So state farm had to pay for all that, and a years worth of physical therapy and chiropractic care, and also they gave me 5000 Pain and suffering just not to sue them.

You need to see a neurologist, and sooner the better.

Mark

This is seriously fubar, living in a country with free hospital care, and working in an emergency ward, this ticks me of.
Do you get free ambulancerides when obviusly seriously injured? Or do you get billed afterwards?

You guys need to fix your medical system, less war more medical care.
And as someone already said, get checked out if you've been in an accident, spleens don't kill you instantly, they tend to kill you 2 days after, when the little fixable gash on it ruptures and drains your blood into your bowel in 5 mins. (Still, the doc in the little story above was a complete idiot if it was the spleen, thats why they invented acute surgery, you can be perfectly healthy without your spleen).

glad you´re ok!

and yeah +1 for what markp said, go see a doc, might just be slight anemia from your bleeding, but don't take the chance.

Keep in mind that was at a smaller hospital, nearly 10 years ago, and it sounded like he had some kind of infection from the bleeding that was fucking up his other organs. It's been a long time, but I remember the "you're going to die soon" part.

You get billed afterwards.

With very few exceptions, there is no "free" medical care here. The Federal government does not directly subsidize hospitals, ambulances or medical staff (with the exception of the military) although the various state and municipal governments sometimes do to a small extent. For the most part however, it doesn't matter if you are shot in the chest by a robber while delivering kittens to an orphanage, your medical treatment will cost money.

Many, if not most Americans, are covered by some form of private health insurance. The insurers themselves are primarily for-profit corporations. In many cases, the cost of the insurance is paid for by a persons employer. "Free" health insurance is considered a customary benefit associated with most large employers, though generally not for lower-level employees such as those earning minimum wage or those working part-time. I do not know the history of how this practice came to be, it just is.

Those people who are self-employed generally pay for their own health insurance, often through some sort of group discount plan. For instance, the Realtor's Association (not a union, but similar) in a particular state might decide to approach a certain insurance carrier and strike a deal whereby the insurer will provide a discount to all Realtors who are a member of the organization, to entice them to use that particular carrier.

In almost all of these cases, there are certain limitations on how the insurance company will pay out. Usually, there is a "co-pay" which means that for any given procedure the insured pays a small, fixed amount and the insurer pays the rest. There might also be limits on the total payout for a given policy over a given time.

For those who are unemployed, retired or permanently disabled, there are various forms of insurance subsidy provided by the Federal government in the form of the Welfare system, Medicare, etc.


There is also a strong tradition of the distribution of a person's health care costs being decided in the civil court system. Say, for example, that I am driving down the road and you hit me with your car. I am seriously injured and require hospitalization. The whole affair costs me $30,000. Assuming I have health insurance, it is likely that my insurer will sue either you or your insurer to attempt to recoup this cost. If the court finds that you were negligent and caused me to be injured, then your insurer will pay. If you have no insurance, then the court will compel you to pay directly.

What's even more fucked up, I was in a 13 car pile up in MI. The insurance covered the truck I was in (belonged to GM, my client at the time). The truck was the only vehicle that did not leak fluids and/or catch fire. I received a bill for $325 for "hazardous materials clean-up and emergency response vehicle dispatch". They charged me for cleaning up the mess with other peoples cars and to have the fire/police show up. Insurance refused to pay the fee since it was "not directly related to the accident".

are you kidding me, this is America! Our govt doesn't care about its people, just about corporate profits and keeping us in order.

+1, our government "of the people, by the people, and for the people" is a fucking joke.

So you want "universal health care" so everyone can pay out the ass in more taxes and get less health coverage? Thanks, but no thanks. :jerkit:


AK, Glad to hear you're okay man. I seriously would think about finding some new friends honestly. That fuckoff doens't think th "300" horsepower mustang can break the tires loose in the rain? Sounds more like a typical honda owner pulling that bullshit to me. "Wonder if my car will go out of control if I hit the ebrake at 100...."

damn that fuckin crazy.lucky u wore a seatbelt..i still wont

you still won't wear a seatbelt? are you serious?? Like..honestly you look forward to your death?

I can't imagine anyone growing up in current society and believing that you don't need to wear a seat belt. Hell people practically gasp when they hear my car doesn't have air bags.

When my 2000 Eclipse wrecked, while I know that the air bag did nothing. If I didn't have a seatbelt on I'm relatively positive I would have gone through the windshield. Considering the Camry in front of me ended up with his rear axles broken and wheels facing like this \ --------- /

I am amazed at how shit your health care system is! It's times like this I feel quite lucky to not live in that kind of society.

As far as seatbelts go, don't know why anyone would NOT wear one...ever. Mine is always the first thing and the lst thing I do when I get in my car, even if the cops weren't going to give you a fine for not wearing it I still would.

dude... I never said I supported socialized health care. I just said our government is fucked up. We are already paying a stupid high income tax (which includes social security tax that is being used for all sorts of things besides social security). With income and social security combined I'm paying nearly 30% income tax. With the high a tax rate I'd expect to see a cleaner, smoother run country with more services for it's citizens. But, instead we get gas taxes, fees, etc etc so they can get MORE money out of us.

I certainly would NOT support socialized health care run by the gov. The gov itself is so screwed up, tons of inefficiency, I cannot imagine what they would do to the healthcare system, but I KNOW it wouldn't to anyone's personal benefit.

Think of it like this - if the gov ran your healthcare they would be paying the tab so they would dictate. Imagine yourself being ordered to get an annual physical? Imagine them dictating a procedure that you do not want and forcing you to follow through with it? Then probably the only good part would be that since they are paying the bills all the un-healthy stuff would be banned from use? Now that actually would be a good thing, but, imagine your wife (or even yourself) when the microwave has to leave the kitchen? Or your cell phone, wireless router, etc is on the banned list. All this stuff would be first, improvmnet of the actual healthcare services and competence would take a back seat if it ever became a priority.

Emergency on-site services are not part of the healthcare system per-se, they are provided by independent business, or should I say independent FOR PROFIT business. Since they pretty much monopolize wherever they are, and are an affiliate/adjunct to most hospitals, they can charge whatever they want due to no competition. This high-cost service would not be part of healthcare anyway. It still would gouge the hell out of your wallet or insurance company. Better to do a walk-in to the emergency room if you need their services and are capable of walking in. Only those with real, life-threatening injuries belong in an ambulance heading to the emergency room.

Both the healthcare and emergency transportation systems are already running inefficiently at best, the gov would just make an abortion out of it all.

I do not subscribe to any healthcare plan, their system is really only a disease maintenance system at best. I instead practice living with good health choices, that should keep me out of their disease maintenance system a real long time.

Wow your system is a total mess.

I've seen many times when ambulances are called out to very minor cases and alot of the time they'll take you ito the hospital just to be checked out properly. Sure if you stroll into a & e with a minor complaint you will take a long time to be seen(maybe a couple hours) but it doesn't cost a cent depending on your income. It is covered by normal tax, there is a small ambulance levy too from memory and if you ear over 50k and don't have private health insurance then they hit you with a bit more tax like $500 or something, basically to encourage those people who can afford private health insurance to take it out.

It's not the best health system, but compared to yours it looks fantastic.

If your house is on fire does the fire brigade give you a bill before begining to douse the flames too or what?

Our system is a total mess with what little gov intervention already exists, can't imagine any more.

YES, if your house is on fire and they respond you WILL get a bill for their services. But in their defense, they will put the fire out first. Same applies to the fire departments emergency services, in fact, say you are in an accident, the police call the emergency people at the first sight of blood, you really just have some minor cut/bleeding, feel fine otherwise and decide you do not need THEIR transportation, can get to the ER yourself, you get bill for them just showing up in some cases even though you do not call them.

Years ago I was involved in an accident, I did have some facial cuts from the broken glass, so bleeding caused the spontaneous police request to my accident. I was actually a couple blocks from the hospital, could have walked there. Long story short, I refused their services, month later they sent me a bill. I responded with a letter that stated I did not request their services therefore NOT my responsibility to pay their bill, I suggested they try contacting whomever called them and bill appropriately. I also mentioned that billing someone for services that the person never engaged nor never requested was illegal and basically entrapment. They never billed me again. I often wondered just how many people actually stupidly paid their bills.

It's like healthcare services billings. IF I have an accident, my insurance will pay, they negotiate the bill down about 20%, effectively getting a discount that is pre-established because they are paying, the biller takes that amount as full payment and writes off the discounted amount. IF I am paying for my healthcare experience, the biller will not negotiate anything, they expect the full amount nothing less, no discount, just the amount that's billed - period. Now how does that discriminate against me and my money vrs an insurance company and what began AS my money?

We might have a different public mentality than you do. I would bet your people actually go to a doctors office for routine stuff, see the emergency room as a place for emergencies? Here, our emergency rooms are filled with people who do not have REAL emergencies. Many things like the common flu stuff in there, minor cuts and abrasions that a little peroxide and a band-aid would resolve, they actually plug up the emergency process from working properly.

That is pretty messed up...