Seatbelts

[armsmaster270]

Sacramento P.D. General Orders require that you use seatbelts at all times althoug most officers release prior to arrival.

[Bob Loblaw]

Mine's on all the time with the obvious exceptions of when I'm pulling up to a call and when I am about to flip on my overheads and stop a car. I can't give you an exact figure or anything, but I've been told a million times that the number one cause of in-the-line-of-duty death for cops is car crashes. And it isn't even close. I spend 75% of my shift in my car driving around, and I've seen the way these jackasses around here drive and I don't want to die that way. I practice undoing the seat belt quickly, so I don't think that's an issue.

[keith720]

I always wear it, on-duty and off-duty. When I was 18, I hit a tree, and my best friend and his 3-year-old daughter were killed. I spent 2 weeks in a coma and busted a lot of bones. If any of us had been wearing seatbelts, none of us would have suffered more than minor injuries.

[dkpd1384]

Wear mine all the time,,,been shot at once in 20 years, had vest on, been in 5 crashes (none my fault) one would have taken me out easy without the seatbelt. Time enough to get it off just before going out on a call takes less time than radioing in.

[Just KC]

I always wear it, on-duty and off-duty. When I was 18, I hit a tree, and my best friend and his 3-year-old daughter were killed. I spent 2 weeks in a coma and busted a lot of bones. If any of us had been wearing seatbelts, none of us would have suffered more than minor injuries.

{{{{{{Keith}}}}} I am so very sorry you had to go through this.

[Coloradocop]

I usually don't wear mine for I work in the city, usually drive at slow speeds, and always hoppin out of the car. However, if I am running hot to a call, or jump on the highway, I put it on. Our dept. doesn't enforce a seatbelt policy, however, if you get in an accident and you are injured, it's on you...depending on the circumstances. For example, I was writing a citation one evening, and because I was parked, of course I wasn't wearing it, and a drunk fell asleep behind the wheel and slammed into the back of my patrol car, launching it inot the veh I stopped. My bumper was in the back seat. I am happy to report that I was fine, and the seat belt question was never asked.

You understate the severity of your accident! I saw that car out at the garage one day... man were you lucky!

(that is not to say that I think a seatbelt would have made a difference based on the rear-end hit in your deal... just that you were plain old lucky that you didn't get hurt with the amount of damage that the car received)

Anyway, Colorado does have some type of exemption for LE officers in the performance of their duties. Unfortunately I don't recall the exact stipulations of the statute, and I'm too tired to look it up.

As Slick has mentioned, our department doesn't really care, but has implied that they might hose a guy if they aren't wearing their seatbelts in a crash (however, this fortunately didn't hold true for a recent higher-profile crash that took place in our district).

Personally, I almost always wear my seatbelt. They have saved me in the past, and I feel that (statistically) my odds of dying are greater from a car crash than they are from being ambushed and unable to get out of the car fast enough! I've practiced getting out of my car in a hury, and the seat belt doesn't slow me down too much, just because I'm used to it

My exceptions are usually circumstance based... I'll often pop the belt off while driving alleys at night, and I'll usually take it off a couple of blocks away from hot calls.

[mavriktu]

Wreck from today,no belts 7 y/o w/m juv. 9 y/o w/m 12 y/o w/f,and Momma,the 2 males were ejected(1 on the first flip,the other on the 3rd flip)f/juvenile pssgr trapped(jaws used) momma has a peeled back scalp.All will survive and can sit around with coat hangers scratching under each others casts.

[BrickCop]

I have a hard time writing seatbelt citations when I don't have mine on but I know my own reasoning...

Would that reasoning be the fact that its tough to write movers sitting in your mall security golf cart? Its tough when folks ignore the mighty blinking of you flashing amber bubble light.

[HudsonHawk]

Would that reasoning be the fact that its tough to write movers sitting in your mall security golf cart? Its tough when folks ignore the mighty blinking of you flashing amber bubble light.

[Cochese]

Illinois law is mandatory, even for police. I was lucky, I never liked wearing mine as it sat on top of my firearm. I drove like that for 30 years and retired. My youngest son, Chicago Police Officer, working a high crime area of the City, didn't wear his because of fear of being under fire and not being able to get out of the car to take cover or get to your weapon. On 8/8/04, at 0545hrs on a Sunday morning, just about to get off duty, on the way to a routine call, doing the speed limit, was broadsided by a drunk driver who ran a red light at 60 mph. He was ejected from the squad and crushed under it. Would he had lived if he wore it? Probably. Everyone be safe out there.

Flash died when I was in the academy. I remember hearing about it, over a thousand miles away. Your son was and will always be, a hero.

We lost one last year as well. I will always wear it. Always.