Posted on Sunday 10 February 2008
Last month a study found that on average seat widths and the thickness of their padding in cars hadn’t changed much over the past ten years despite increases in the size of the average driver’s waistline over the same period. This is also the case with seatbelts. In fact, federal standards for the length of a seatbelt in countries like the U.S. date back four decades and only require that belts are able to accommodate at most a 215-pound man.
Some carmakers do offer bigger belts or extenders but many don’t because of concerns about effectiveness and liability, reports the Associated Press. A new study conducted by Vanderbilt University psychologist David Schlundt has found that the more overweight a person is, the less likely they are to wear the life-saving device. “They really have a hard time getting that belt buckle over them,” Schlundt said. “They have to stretch it out and then over and then some can’t see the buckle.”
The study found seatbelt use declined as body mass index (a common measure comparing a person’s weight to their height) increased. Some of the stats were alarming. Only 70% of extremely obese people always wore a seatbelt and only 83% of normal sized people always wore a seatbelt, according to the responses of more than 250,000 drivers in the U.S. The best solution researchers found is to install seatbelt extenders, which can add around 18-20in to the length of the belt, but they can be hazardous, too, if used by passengers who are too small.
this is going to sound really… REALLY insensitive but what the hell. if bigger people have to buy two tickets for an airline, then i dont thin the car makers are going to bother accomodating bigger people. i’f you ask me, small cars are already trying to be more accomodating for bigger people. if ur that big, then you can afford to buy a bigger car to fit your gut.
besides, I’m sure with those extremely obese people have more concerns to their health than the chance of being in a deadly car accident while being part of a social group that is less likely to wear a seatbelt.
what concerns me is the 17% of people who have NO @%*)ing excuse to NOT wear the damned belt. “but what if my car rolls over a bunch of times and then it lands in water and then a semi lands on my car and crushes me… HUH?! i coulda been thrown from the car and landed safely if it wasnt for the seat belt”
…yeah what about the other 99.9% of much more likely accidents that would otherwise KILL you if you weren’t wearing the seatbelt.
and dont give me that freedom to what ever constitutional amendment crap. Some people are too free for their IQ levels.
I figure if someone doesn’t want to wear a seat belt then let them do what they want. If they end up dead then that’s their own fault. Of course I would make sure my own family members buckle up but if someone dies because of their own ignorance, then too bad for them. I know that sounds insensitive but we can’t go blaming others for the mistakes that someone willingly made.
I don’t agree with you, SuperSkyline89. If someone gets seriously hurt in an accident because he/she didn’t like to wear a seat belt, the whole society must pay his/her health recovery. That’s not fair.
nab; he said killed. if some one gets injured, yes, in many countries, the rest of society bares the burden… which is unfortunate for us.. but his point is… if you are too lazy or stupid to buckle up, then you deserve to get hurt or die.
being fat just gives people an excuse.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t pay his/her health bill, that’s what makes Canada so great. What I am saying is that if people are to stupid to do something that saves lives and we are taught to do since kindergarten then that’s their fault and no one should feel sorry for them. They made a conscious decision to put their life in danger and they payed the price. If someone is so fat that the belt is uncomfortable then that’s their own fault for not taking care of themselves.