Seatbelts

I think that seatbelts  in motor vehicles are a damned good idea. In the event of a collision, seatbelts can stop you or your passengers from  catapulting through the front windscreen  (American: windshield)

When I began driving, wearing seatbelts ( or seat belts) was not compulsory in the eyes of the law and besides, most cars  did not have seatbelts installed. I freely admit that it took me a while to get used to wearing seatbelts. I am grateful for bleepers in cars that admonished me whenever I had forgotten to put my seatbelt on. Like one of Pavlov's dogs those bleepers eventually  taught me to comply with the law.

Taxi drivers, delivery people, emergency service drivers and drivers of public buses  do not have to wear seatbelts. I would ask - why not? And I would ask the same question of passengers on public buses. Why don't they have to wear seatbelts? Okay there are usually no seatbelts fitted but why not?

Tonight I was the only passenger aboard the 10.48 Number 88 bus home  from Bents Green. The young driver was racing along like Max Verstappen while I gripped the grab rail in front of me. I would have clicked a seatbelt but there wasn't one.

If I had been driving a car, the police could have charged me and I might have received an automatic fine of up to £500 ($US 585).

What is the point of seatbelts from a  governmental point of view?  One would think that it's to save lives. Saving people from themselves. It's in the public interest.

Okay if that really is the case, then why are people allowed to ride around on two-wheeled vehicles? I am mostly thinking about motorcycles but also bicycles. Obviously it would be verging on the  technically impossible to fit seatbelts on such vehicles but if that is the case, shouldn't they simply be banned? 

In 2021, 280 British motorcyclists were killed in road accidents and 14,690 casualties were  recorded overall. None of them were wearing seatbelts.

Another point I reflect upon is the absence of seatbelts on British railways.  You can thunder along at 170mph but no one in your carriage will be wearing seatbelts - because, of course, there aren't any! How can the law insist on seatbelt wearing in cars but not on trains?  It seems so contradictory  and therefore so wrong. But one day we shall reach The Promised Land.



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Ladies View



I’m glad I made the effort to go to Nu’s party
I’m glad for so many reasons .
Of course seeing her, Jim and her family and friends, many who I consider as my friends for years , was the driving force for the trip 
But I also really wanted to push myself out of my ever comfortable comfort zone by driving the length and breadth of Ireland on my own .
To some , this may not sound too stressful.
A little arduous, perhaps but not stressful, 
But I must admit, for me it was! 

I’m always envious of friends such as Rachel (https://racheldubois.blogspot.com/) who seem happy and comfortable travelling all over the world by themselves. 
I’ve never done it, so I felt I needed to push myself with a series of firsts
Taking my Car on a ferry for the first time and navigating a new country was two firsts 
Ok it was Ireland 
But this morning I was the only car driving down the magnificent Ring of Kerry from the awesome Moll’s Gap
I was the only person at Ladies view , watching deer cross the road in front of me
And it was a first  for me to pass the glorious St Mary’s cathedral Killarney where I stopped for a full Irish breakfast at a delightful cafe, where the owner gave me a sandwich , for nothing “ to eat on my way” as she said it’s a far drive for you ! 

But now that I’m home, somewhat tired I must say I feel just a little proud that I’ve finally done it.


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Heart

 What is on your heart?



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