Crash…
Okay, it’s official, I’m an accident magnet. Three time’s a charm. Yesterday, I was involved in the third car accident within roughly a year. And all three times, I was just the passenger. What I’ve learned from:
The first accident – at 50-60 km/u, the bang is still quite hard. A medium sized business car frontal crash will damage the frontside considerably and leakage of fluids will prevent you to continue driving. The other party did not give precedence, and was rewarded with a big dented left door. No airbag popping out.
The second accident – Old car rams left front corner of the car. The car was ugly dented, and some auxiliary reservoir was damaged, and had to be towed away. The rule is that people driving old cars DON’T care about their own or other’s safety, and they DON’T care about their own or other’s car anymore. And worst of all, the extra damage actually makes their already wrinkled car look better ! Again. No airbag.
The third accident – Frontal on a car stopping in front of us. Opel Vectra’s (the new style) will have only slight damage, because of a high and sturdy bumper. A SEAT Cordoba is less fortunate at 30-40 km/u, the front looks ugly (car is about 10 cm shorter now), but no vital machinery is hit. Airbags do not pop out at this speed either. After three times, you start to wonder.
So, seatbelts do work, as I’m physically not damaged in anyway (though the brains are still the biggest mystery in the world, particularly my set of brains)
All in all, the biggest advice won’t be to use the seatbelts, it’s better you experience it yourself. A big gaping hole in your skull says a whole lot more than just my words. Hahah.