Unsafe Cars in Field Service

by NewChapter 27 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  WTWizard

  Missing child seats and seats not fastened to the floor? I have been in two different cars where the floor itself was becoming detached from the frame. You could actually see outside under the door. These were not tiny holes--they were roughly a meter in length, and it was a wonder the whole thing didn't drop onto the road at 80 km/h or more. And, this was in the United States of America back when it was the United States of America (late 1980s and early 1990s), where there are supposed to be inspection laws keeping such unsafe vehicles off the road.

  And yes, I have seen my share of cars where the rear seat belt was hidden underneath the seat. I would try and fish it out, but often it was impossible or the latch was busted. This means there was no way I could fasten the seat belt--if there was an accident, not only would I go through the windshield but I could have hit a front passenger on my way out.
• 

  Band on the Run

  Does anyone know whether most states require mandatory seat belts being used for all occupants? The rear seats are always a problem. Evidence that seat belts and air bags save countless lives is well established. I thought we rendered Caesar's things to Caesar. Being lawless is not a good witness. Why doesn't anyone report on an anonymous basis those who lack car insurance. It is not funny! I don't think it is even eccentric, ol' JW type of thing. When I took a new state's driving exam, I was reprimanded for not making certain that the tester had his seat belt buckled. I assumed he would. He said I had to complete a visual inspection of every passenger in the car before turning the ignition on. I just can't recall whether this was best practices suggestion or an actual law.

  Can someone be sued by a non seat belt wearing passenger? I would think so. Maybe not many years ago but car safety laws have greatly increased. Most people aren't aware how dangerous cars are. In law school, I learned that any other thing with the same statistics would never be allowed today. Never. Cars were developed before modern regulations. Americans have this absolute love affair with the freedom that cars provide. We assume the deaths b/c Americans perceive the mobility is a greater benefit.

  Witnesses often seemed to love being in defiance of the system. The WT constantly mocks worldly authorities. I want to see Armageddon actually arrive and what kind of people are left to run an infrastructure. God helps those who help themselves.
• 

  Witness 007

  This Happened many times! A Witness would belt himself in with his tiny brother.....hell!
• 

  life is to short

  There are tons of stories I could tell. One my husband before we got married was in a horrendous accident in service because of an older elder who had had many fender benders before this.

  They were out in service and my husband was in the back seat when this elder turned onto a major highway without looking. A guy tee-boned him going 60. The elder did not have his seat belt on and it probably was what saved his life as the impact threw him to the other side of the car. My husband had his seat belt on and only received minor injury's the other brother in the car also was not hurt that badly either for some reason. They did pronounce the elder DOA but he pulled through (with Jehovah's help so I was told) only to keep driving in field service.

  There was this old pioneer sister who almost drove her car off a cliff with a young teenage sister in the car. They had to call a tow truck to pull the car back and the young sister had to stay in the car as it was really tittering on the edge. Yet this pioneer kept driving and kept taking other with her.

  One of the worst ones for me was when my elder husband was assigned to pick up this sister who had a baby boy under a year old. This nut case REFUSED to put the baby in a car seat. I was beyond pissed and offered to buy her a car seat. She told me her baby did not like riding in them and she WOULD NOT PUT HIM IN ONE PEROID!!! I was like this is my car and you will put him in a car seat or else not ride with us, but my husband did not want her to miss any of the meetings so my feelings went out the window and we drove her for over two months without a car seat. I was so mad and I was ready to walk out on my marriage over this stupid problem. It is my car too I told my husband but her making the meetings was more important than anything he kept telling me. Finally I called our insurance company and told them what he was doing, they told me they would drop us and I handed him the phone and told them to tell him that also. After that the sister quit going to the meetings.
  It was so stupid and still makes my blood boil that this women being at the meetings was more important then I was to my husband.

  LITS
• 

  life is to short

  There was another one of a prominent elder where I live. They did not believe in paying their car insurance until it was past due as you know those insurance company's make to much money as it is.

  Well this one night the wife and all three daughters were driving and got hit by a drank driver who had no insurance. Sadly it was when their insurance was due and the company had dropped them that very day. One of the daughters died in the accident and the mom was really injured. At the memorial for the daughter that died they had a box by the door of the KH to put money into to help cover the medical bills. Now this elder made really good money but without insurance they were truly were hurting through their own fault. It was so sad but so upsetting at the same time.It really made me mad through as it is required by state law to have CAR INSURANCE where we live, I have always had it and I made way less then they did. Also I wonder how often they went out in service without proper insurance and how many of the friends knew or fellow elders.

  There are so many stories I have it is unreal.

  LITS
• 

  designs

  When I was 20 and newly made School Overseer in a inner city congregation I was assigned to help an older Anointed Sister out in service as she had severe cataracts....only problem she insisted on DRIVING! She couldn't see Stop Signs and we would go through intersections full bore with me and any passengers hitting the floor-boards for safety!
• 

  Paralipomenon

  A brother bought a new car and was adamant he take it in service. When we got out, it was freezing and my partner and I quickly whipped through our NH list. When we got back to the car it was locked. They got in on a call and after 30 mins of standing in the freezing cold, I had enough and walked to the nearest bus stop and rode home.

  The guy with me was mortified of leaving. "What will they think when they come out and we're not here?" My reply was, "What are they thinking leaving us in the freezing cold this long."

  He remained and I got to get out of service early. I did get a talking to, but the elder later got reassigned for being a pedophile, so no loss there.
• 

  blondie

  http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/seatbelt_laws.html

  seatbelts required front and back, primary and secondary

  Seat Belt Laws

  November 2011

  Seat belt laws are divided into two categories: primary and secondary. Primary seat belt laws allow law enforcement officers to ticket a driver for not wearing a seat belt, without any other traffic offense taking place.

  Secondary seat belt laws state that law enforcement officers may issue a ticket for not wearing a seat belt only when there is another citable traffic infraction.

  Learn More About Occupant Protection

  Child Protection Laws

  Issue Brief

  Click It or Ticket

  Occupant Protection for Children Best Practices
  Published 2008

  Survey of the StatesPublished 1998

  Related Links

  • 32 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have primary seat belt laws.
  • 17 states have secondary laws. In many of these states, the law is primary for younger drivers and/or passengers.
  • In several states, laws vary depending on whether the passenger is seated in the front seat or in a rear seat.
  • New Hampshire has enacted neither a primary nor a secondary seat belt law for adults, although the state does have a primary child passenger safety law that covers all drivers and passengers under 18.

  Specific laws vary greatly from state to state, depending on the age of the rider and in what seat he or she is sitting.

  NOTE: This chart covers seat belt laws for adults and young adults only. For requirements for infants, toddlers, and children, see GHSA's Child Passenger Safety Laws chart.

  States with Primary Seat Belt Laws

  State	Who is Covered (Yrs.)	In What Seat	Maximum Fine 1st Offense
  Alabama	>15	Front	$25
  Alaska	>16	All	$15
  American Samoa	No data
  Arkansas	>15	Front	$25 ($20 city & $20 county jail fines may be added)
  California	>16	All	$20 base fine + min. $122 for court fees and other penalty assessments
  Connecticut	>7	Front	$92 for >18 ($50 fine + $7 fee + $35 surcharge) $120 for <18 ($75 fine + $10 fee + $35 surcharge)
  Delaware 1	>16	All	$25
  D.C.	>16	All	$50
  Florida	>6	Front	$30
  	6 - 17	All
  Georgia	8 - 17	All	$15
  	>18	Front
  Guam	All	All	$100
  Hawaii	8 - 17	All	$92 (including administrative fees)
  	>18	Front
  Illinois	<18, if driver <18	All	$25 plus court costs
  	>16	Front
  Indiana	>16	All	$25
  Iowa	>18	Front	$25
  Kansas	14 - 17	All	$60
  	>18	Front (other seating positions are secondary enforcement)	$10
  Kentucky	<6 and >50"	All	$25
  	>7
  Louisiana	>13	All	$25
  Maine	>18	All	$50
  Maryland	>16	Front	$25
  Michigan	>16	Front	$25
  Minnesota	<7 (and >57") or >8	All	$25
  Mississippi	>7	Front	$25
  New Jersey	<7 and >80 lbs.	All (secondary for rear seats)	$46 (including court costs)
  	>8
  New Mexico	>18	All	$25
  New York	<16	Rear	$50
  	All	Front
  North Carolina	>16	All (secondary for rear seats)	$25.50 + $135.50 in court costs ($10 + no court costs for rear seats)
  Northern Mariana Islands	>6	All	$25
  Oklahoma	>13	Front	$20
  Oregon	>8 or 4'9"	All	$142 ($97 fine + $45 surcharge)
  Puerto Rico	No data
  Rhode Island	>18	All	$75
  South Carolina	>6	All	$25
  Tennessee	>16	Front	$50
  Texas	>15	All	$50 (driver or passenger)
  	<7 (and >57') - <17		$200 (driver)
  Virgin Islands	All	Front	$25 to $250
  Washington	>8 or >4'9"	All	$124
  Wisconsin	>8	All	$10
  Total	32 States + American Samoa, D.C., Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands

  1 Delaware's seat belt law is a civil penalty.

  States with Secondary Seat Belt Laws

  State	Who is Covered (Yrs.)	In What Seat	Maximum Fine 1st Offense
  Arizona	5 - 15	All	$10
  	>5	Front
  Colorado	>18 (primary for <18)	Front	$71
  Idaho	>7	All	$10 (drivers <18 pay $51.50, including court costs)
  Massachusetts	>13	All	$25
  Missouri	8 - 15 (primary)	All	$50
  	>16	Front	$10 (driver and passenger)
  Montana	>6	All	$20
  Nebraska	>18	Front	$25
  Nevada	>6	All	$25
  North Dakota	>18	Front	$20
  Ohio	8 - 14	All	$30 driver; $20 passenger
  	>15	Front
  Pennsylvania	8 - 17 (primary) (eff. 12/24/11)	All	$10
  	>18	Front
  South Dakota	>18	Front	$25
  Utah	>16 (primary for <19)	All	$45
  Vermont	>18 (primary for <18)	All	$25
  Virginia	All drivers; passengers >18 (primary for passengers <18 in all seats)	Front	$25 (driver ticketed for passengers <18)
  West Virginia	8 - 17	All	$25
  	>18	Front
  Wyoming	>9	All	$25 driver; $10 passenger
  Total States	17 States

  Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.

  Disclaimer: The information on this page is for general information purposes only and is not to be considered legal authority. For clarification on any law, consult the appropriate State Highway Safety Office.

  © 2011 Governors Highway Safety Association, 444 N. Capitol Street, NW, Suite 722, Washington DC 20001-1534
  phone 202.789.0942 , fax 202.789.0946, [email protected]