Act now! Be Aware! 3 week seat belt campaign in Sebastopol

[nurturetruth]

This might not be the appropriate category to post this..

hmmmm...

perhaps it needs to be in Events?

I am starting the "Being Aware Campaign"


I was informed earlier today that the Sebastopol Police are now holding their "3 week seat belt campaign" ......so why not support a good cause of being aware & safe and make sure to BUCKLE UP!?! (or act like it!)

Or.... get pulled over as I did today and chance getting a fine!
And lemme tell you, this peace officer pulled up behind me outta nowhere! Did not even see it coming until it was coming!


Luckily, thanks to my doctors not and me quoting Section G of Vehicle Code 27315, I did not get a ticket!
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d12/vc27315.htm

I feel fortunate and grateful to have attracted the energy of an educated peace officer and that she passed along the valuable campaign information.

[Lenny]

So what medical condition could an MD or DCM put for no seat belt?
One time, about 10 years ago, SWMBO and I were pulled over by Sebastopol PD for the same deal. Gave us a warning, told us about how he wouldn't want to have to pick us up all messed and bloody and such. Nice guy! Don't know why he simply didn't ticket us.
And thanks for the heads up!

[nurturetruth]

Perhaps you did not get a ticket, because it was 10 years ago, and they did not enforce the seat belt law as they do now.
Or perhaps they did not hold 3 week campaigns to help enforce safety-- which, I support.
Now, every time once receives a citation/ticket for not wearing a seat belt, not only does the infraction STAY on your driving record for your entire life journey, but it increases any future seat belt fines.

For me, I have a need/desire to be FREE!
Sometimes, I feel a bit claustraphobic if I wear my seat belt or get stuck driving behind a big rig mac truck.
However, when I was in Berkley and had a doctors note to explain why I was exempt from wearing a seatbelt, the cops were not so nice. But I did show the court my doctors note and ticket was dismissed/no fines.

One time, about 10 years ago, SWMBO and I were pulled over by Sebastopol PD for the same deal. Gave us a warning, told us about how he wouldn't want to have to pick us up all messed and bloody and such. Nice guy! Don't know why he simply didn't ticket us.
And thanks for the heads up!

[Zeno Swijtink]

I hope this is "just" a misdemeanor

Perhaps you did not get a ticket, because it was 10 years ago, and they did not enforce the seat belt law as they do now.
Or perhaps they did not hold 3 week campaigns to help enforce safety-- which, I support.
Now, every time once receives a citation/ticket for not wearing a seat belt, not only does the infraction STAY on your driving record for your entire life journey, but it increases any future seat belt fines.

For me, I have a need/desire to be FREE!
Sometimes, I feel a bit claustraphobic if I wear my seat belt or get stuck driving behind a big rig mac truck.
However, when I was in Berkley and had a doctors note to explain why I was exempt from wearing a seatbelt, the cops were not so nice. But I did show the court my doctors note and ticket was dismissed/no fines.

[Lenny]

I hope this is "just" a misdemeanor

Yeah, that's what it is, for $20 the first time, and $50 thereafter. Thanks to NurtureTruth's url I read up on it. I am sorry the law has to over ride common sense. We are diminished by every law.

[Braggi]

Yeah, that's what it is, for $20 the first time, and $50 thereafter. Thanks to NurtureTruth's url I read up on it. I am sorry the law has to over ride common sense. We are diminished by every law.

Actually, it's an infraction, not a misdemeanor, at least, I hope that's the case.

Big difference as far as your criminal record is concerned.

As far as laws go, it's not nearly as obnoxious as some we could mention.

-Jeff

[nurturetruth]

Santa Rosa is ALSO having their "click it or ticket" from now till June 1st !

https://ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/doclib/p...tOrTicket.aspx

Site quotes ticket fines for adults are $80 - 90

Yea, kinda strange how a misdemeanor can be off your record in 3 years, but a traffic seatbelt infraction goes on your record for life and just continues to add up in cost! (luckily doesn't affect insurance , though...WHEW!)

[79paul]

So why not just use your seatbelt ALL the time? I know this is West County, and we think we're so anti-law enforcement. Spend a night or two as an ER nurse, as I have, and it's a no-brainer. My kids were raised to ALWAYS wear a seatbelt, and it saved my daughter's life. She walked away from a rollover where she was a passenger. Near home.

[nurturetruth]

I support the use of wearing a seatbelt and promoting safety and am very, very glad to hear your daughter survived a rollover due to wearing a seatbelt !!! Very fortunate...

I have heard stories both of people surviving due to wearing their seatbelts and some stories of people who got seriously injured or died because they wore their seat belt.
Everyone has their opinion on what they believe is 'safe' or feels "safe'. For instance, I feel safer when I feel free .

just because I choose not to use my seatbelt does not mean I want to die, or am setting myself up for an accident or even thinking about this happening to me.

If i had kids, i would definitely raise them and enforce them to buckle up for sure! But after a certain age, the "adult kids" are all on their own with their own choices to decide.

Also, I do not know about others, but I do not resonate with the vibe of being "anti" anything! I just resonate with the freedom of choice.

I do not necessarily agree with the seat belt fines staying on a persons record for life , but it does enforce a lesson to either buckle up or find a way to be exempt.

So why not just use your seatbelt ALL the time? I know this is West County, and we think we're so anti-law enforcement. Spend a night or two as an ER nurse, as I have, and it's a no-brainer. My kids were raised to ALWAYS wear a seatbelt, and it saved my daughter's life. She walked away from a rollover where she was a passenger. Near home.

[Zeno Swijtink]

The use of seatbelts, internationally compared, has shown an interesting paradox:

John Adams (University College London) documented that "those countries with seat belt laws [have] fared no better, and in some cases (e.g. Sweden, Ireland and New Zealand) significantly worse than those without."

and he explains this by arguing that:

"Protecting car occupants from the consequences of bad driving (by eg seat belt use) encourages bad driving."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seat_belt_legislation

But in those countries that have seatbelt laws it's better to comply in order to protect oneself against the bad driving of others that is encouraged by using seat belts.

If you wear a seatbelt you feel safer and are driving more risky. Seat belts have led to more injuries among pedestrians.

Compare this with the remarkable drop in accidents in cities that did away with all traffic signs!!

See: https://www.guardian.co.uk/commentis...diancolumnists

I support the use of wearing a seatbelt and promoting safety and am very, very glad to hear your daughter survived a rollover due to wearing a seatbelt !!! Very fortunate...

I have heard stories both of people surviving due to wearing their seatbelts and some stories of people who got seriously injured or died because they wore their seat belt.
Everyone has their opinion on what they believe is 'safe' or feels "safe'. For instance, I feel safer when I feel free .

just because I choose not to use my seatbelt does not mean I want to die, or am setting myself up for an accident or even thinking about this happening to me.

If i had kids, i would definitely raise them and enforce them to buckle up for sure! But after a certain age, the "adult kids" are all on their own with their own choices to decide.

Also, I do not know about others, but I do not resonate with the vibe of being "anti" anything! I just resonate with the freedom of choice.

I do not necessarily agree with the seat belt fines staying on a persons record for life , but it does enforce a lesson to either buckle up or find a way to be exempt.

[dijonyo]

and HOWL-O! My dogs would like to make a public Stay!!tement in favor of seatbelts. My dogs travel comfortably wearing their Ruff Rider Roadie seatbelts.

For me, one car accident in my life without seatbelts was enough.

[succubusss]

YOUVE been stalked!

[Tarotkatee]

Seat belts are not the only thing the Sebastopol police are looking for.
If you go over the speed limit (and just a little) they are there to
nail you.. got me! They hang out near the Post Office on Hwy #116.
Saw one of them standing there with his "Wand" up in the air
checking the speed of drivers passing by. Guess they need the revenue!

[shellebelle]

I think they are preparing for summer. Getting people to slow down before the schools get out. My son is out of school next week.

I have had to a be vigilant with my son and the too fast drivers on Main St.

On the other hand I was going home late one night 2am and had a Sebastopol officer follow me, then a Sheriff and eventually a second Sheriff with about a half mile/mile break between each. I really safe being out that time of night since everyone was so attentive.

[Sara S]

I just did traffic school, and the teacher said that because they DO need the revenue, police everywhere now are pressured to write more tickets than in the past, so I'm changing my evil ways!

Sara

I think they are preparing for summer. Getting people to slow down before the schools get out. My son is out of school next week.

I have had to a be vigilant with my son and the too fast drivers on Main St.

On the other hand I was going home late one night 2am and had a Sebastopol officer follow me, then a Sheriff and eventually a second Sheriff with about a half mile/mile break between each. I really safe being out that time of night since everyone was so attentive.

[shellebelle]

I thought it was time to share my police attitude.

I see a lot of negativity around the police on the board. And I am not discussing the validity of any of them. I just want to share how I deal with police and a stop of any sort. I believe that often the problem isn't being stopped its approaching the officer with hostility and thus they become instantly defensive. I have passed this on to others and this works for most even if they are guilty of something.

I go into any stop with appreciation for their work, that they may have had a rough day, that I can be there first appreciative smiling person and looking at them like they are chocolate cake with chocolate sauce and whip cream. Mmmmmmm dessert!!!

So I challenge anyone who gets stopped to try something different, approach them as though they are your favorite waiter(ress) in your favorite restaurant and s/he's just nummy and s/he's serving you the best dessert ever. And you'll not have nearly the problems if any.

In fact this works so well for me they often wave to me to slow down versus pulling me over and I can honestly say they have had me dead to rights on several occasions.

I just did traffic school, and the teacher said that because they DO need the revenue, police everywhere now are pressured to write more tickets than in the past, so I'm changing my evil ways!

Sara

[Dynamique]

It's a safe bet that they thought you had just left a bar and were hoping to nail you on a DUI, which brings in lots and lots of revenue!

And yes, it is good to know that law enforcement is keeping an eye on things in the wee hours.

...On the other hand I was going home late one night 2am and had a Sebastopol officer follow me, then a Sheriff and eventually a second Sheriff with about a half mile/mile break between each. I really safe being out that time of night since everyone was so attentive.

[shellebelle]

Yes, thats what I figured too. I was sober just out late. Which is common actually for me. And there are times there are some pretty rough looking people out at that hour.

Also I was alone on some pretty rough roads with plenty of natural night life. Had my car been kissed by a deer, cow or other such friend I would have had plenty of support.

It's a safe bet that they thought you had just left a bar and were hoping to nail you on a DUI, which brings in lots and lots of revenue!

And yes, it is good to know that law enforcement is keeping an eye on things in the wee hours.

[nbolmer]

This is interesting to me. I haven't read the study, but intuitively it seems tenuous. At least for my generation (I'm 30), we've been wearing seat belts by law for most of our lives, and buckling up is like zipping my pants. It doesn't make me safer or less safe, it's instinctive. If I take off my seat belt, I definitely feel less safe. Is the flip side of the coin that when we feel less safe, we may be overly cautious, which is as (or more) dangerous than over confidence while driving? Overly cautious people are the ones who stop on an onramp instead of getting up to speed to make a safe entry.

This sounds more like correlation than causation. It's a fact that in many types of collisions, seat belts improve your chance of survival many-fold. This is not an opinion, it has nothing to do with feeling safe; it's a fact. It's also a fact that when someone becomes the coroner's problem, it's our tax money that pays for the cleanup, and therefore, not wearing a seatbelt is a financial burden for the other responsible drivers.

Growing up in Los Angeles, wearing a seatbelt is just something you do- the number of accidents is huge, and you want to be protected from unsafe drivers (and I doubt that the overconfidence bestowed by wearing a seatbelt is the major cause of these accidents, even if there is a correlation; usually there's a very clear cause involving alcohol, cell phones, etc). I'm surprised that everyone doesn't wear them out here, where the roads wind around, and people routinely drive way too fast around them. Nobody gets in my car without a seatbelt, any more than they get on my motorcycle without a helmet.

The use of seatbelts, internationally compared, has shown an interesting paradox:

John Adams (University College London) documented that "those countries with seat belt laws [have] fared no better, and in some cases (e.g. Sweden, Ireland and New Zealand) significantly worse than those without."

and he explains this by arguing that:

"Protecting car occupants from the consequences of bad driving (by eg seat belt use) encourages bad driving."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seat_belt_legislation

But in those countries that have seatbelt laws it's better to comply in order to protect oneself against the bad driving of others that is encouraged by using seat belts.

If you wear a seatbelt you feel safer and are driving more risky. Seat belts have led to more injuries among pedestrians.

Compare this with the remarkable drop in accidents in cities that did away with all traffic signs!!

See: https://www.guardian.co.uk/commentis...diancolumnists

[handy]

I was three when my Dad bought his first new car; a 1950 Chevy delivery van. (He wanted a station wagon, but nobody made them yet.) He bought seat belt kits from an auto parts store (special order), and installed them himself. This was wa-a-ay before automakers began including them.


I had a half-uncle in the Michigan state police who told me that he had never had to unbuckle a body.


The great Welsh cybernetician, Stafford Beer, at a conference on traffic safety pointed out that devices such as seat belts and airbags, by assuring driver safety, actually tended to promote unsafe driving. He suggested, kind of (and I suspect only half) tongue in cheek, that if we truly wished to promote safe driving, we should require seat belts for passengers, and an eight inch spike in the center of the steering wheel.


stray data>

[Vet-To-Pet]

I've gotta add my 2 cents' worth---speed traps are so lame, unless a driver is speeding way above the posted limit (and wouldn't it be nice if the signs for speed limits were clearly visible & posted frequently enough so there'd be no questions about the limit on various stretches of road(s) ?) and/or in a reckless manner. I've driven around for a living and have seen drivers do some things that would make your hair curl---cut right in front of me from the far right lane, across two lanes of traffic, with no warning, in order to make a left turn, and other "moving violations" that are, in my opinion. much more serious & dangerous than someone going over the speed limit. The police who sit with their radar/laser guns are NOT driving around in order to see the stupid things that drivers do. "Catching" speeders while sitting behind a large shrub is lazy police work. Waiting outside of bars at night is slightly more important, but also lazy. No wonder there are no police officers driving around, patroling our neighborhoods, catching & arresting the theives who break into cars & steal items from inside (which happened to me a few weeks ago). I called to report the incident, not because I ever expected to see my GPR again, but to explain to the sheriff's department that I expect them to patrol my neighborhood, to disuade criminals from operating in apparent freedom from being caught. I've lived in my house, just south of the city limits of Sebastopol, and I have not ONCE seen a sheriff's vehicle drive down my street, and I spend a LOT of time in my front yard working in my garden (entire afternoons sometimes, into the evenings).

I'd rather see the police & sheriff vehicles patrolling our streets (ALL of them!) than sitting hidden by a billboard or shrubs, just waiting for that "criminal speeder" to breeze by. It infuriates me to see them. Not only do they limit their usefulness, they also "profile" drivers to pull over, but you all knew that, right? It happened to me once (due to the type of car I was driving & the fact that it was "homecoming day" in this big college town where I lived). That cop was sure he'd nailed a DUI, pulled me over, had me get out of the car (huh?), do "the walk", blow into a breathalizer (I hadn't had a drink in 18 years at that time), then wrote me up for speeding. I noticed he hadn't filled in anything about administering the breathalizer test, so I demanded that the video of my "incident" be present on the day I went to court. In my opinion, the ticket wasn't valid since he hadn't included everything he'd done (he'd written in the road conditions, the visibility, etc). When I went to court to contest it, my arresting officer didn't show up...hmmmm....what a surprise. It was thrown out of court.

So, speed traps are just the lazy way to collect some revenue. The law enforcement officials ought to be able to come up with more efficient ways to use their officers as well as technology making a human being at a speed trap obsolete/unnecessary.
A VERY safe driver~
Paula/Vet-to-Pet

I just did traffic school, and the teacher said that because they DO need the revenue, police everywhere now are pressured to write more tickets than in the past, so I'm changing my evil ways!

Sara