Mixed feelings.

[Gimpy Ric]

I was on a vent full time for 7 weeks, until a super cool nurse named Judy would work with me every afternoon, breathing exercise with a sperometer. And I had a feeding tube too.. Both are long gone thankfully.

The saddest thing I can imagine is the poor soldier fighting in Iraq that was shot point blank in a market at the base of the skull. He's a quadriplegic, on a vent, and blind. Now that **** sucks and really pisses me off. Sorry mods for the language.

 

[markw]

Their stupidity outsidethe car concerns me not.

Yep, but the more frightening thing is that the stupidity does not appear when they turn the ignition key and then disappear when they step out of the car.

they can be as stupid and careless as they want walking or riding on a bile. It's when they are supposed to be controlling two tons of rolling metal that can travel at a high rate of speed that I get worried.

I honestly can't wrap my mind around the fact that this newbie driver didn't/couldn't think that perhaps texting (which takes two hands and visual concentration) might interfere with her driving abilities, partcularly at night, while driving at a high rate of speed, and passing other cars.

Sorry if I seem callous, but she deserved to die. Not her friends. Nor do any of the affected families, except perhaps whoever "taught" her how to drive.

 

[billy p]

I was on a vent full time for 7 weeks, until a super cool nurse named Judy would work with me every afternoon, breathing exercise with a sperometer. And I had a feeding tube too.. Both are long gone thankfully.

The saddest thing I can imagine is the poor soldier fighting in Iraq that was shot point blank in a market at the base of the skull. He's a quadriplegic, on a vent, and blind. Now that **** sucks and really pisses me off. Sorry mods for the language.

I second Mark's sentiment, regarding yourself! Going a bit off topic though.
I work in a hospital, but I am not a health care provider. The other day I was doing my job in the ICU and a nurse friend of mine called me over. She pointed to this young guy with a ng tube and vent keeping him alive. I asked what had happened to him because otherwise he looked fine. Apparently he had put change into the vending machine and when nothing came out he rocked it and you guessed it. Anyways she said he's a C2(or maybe A2-not sure?) and considering his youth, I hope he pulls through with help, the same way you did.
My feelings are this just because you do something stupid(and we've all done stupid things back in the day)that death or becoming a quad is much to severe a payment.

Good luck to you, Billy p

 

[furrycute]

A C2 injury pretty much cuts off neural innervation to the diaphragm, which means he'll be on a ventilator for the rest of his life. Those spinal injuries are really scary.

 

[Dan]

I've worked in a level 1 trauma center and have seen a lot. Some people with bad spinal injuries just had terrible luck like the woman who left the car door open while getting out to put something in the mail box and the car rolled back a couple of feet from a dead stop and she wound up paraplegic.

Cars are all much safer now. As for the other side of the coin we see many more horrific leg fractures now from the engine crushing the legs which used to be associated with other fatal injuries but are now survived thanks to airbags. I CAN VIRTUALLY GUARANTEE THAT NONE OF THE OTHER OCCUPANTS OF THAT SUV WERE BELTED OR THEY WOULD HAVE SURVIVED. June was always the worst month of the year with high school seniors speeding and rolling or getting ejected from their "safer than a car" SUVs when unbelted.

I learned the hard way too at 16 getting broadsided while unbelted by a diplomat who ran a stop sign and made the car I was start to roll over. The only thing that saved me from a C1 fracture (about as bad as it gets) was a tree that stopped me after about 90 degrees of roll. Haven't not worn a seatbelt since.

 

[Sheep]

You guys should adopt British Columbia's driving plan.

www.icbc.com explains it in detail, but I'll give you a teaser.

1.) Go to ICBC and take computer test (they have a book that you need to read in order to pass this test, as the answers are in it, and the questions are worded in a way that makes it much more difficult to understand).

2.) Once the test is passed, you will receive your "L" Learners license. You can take a driving training course (which many do) that it will remove 3 months from your 1 year L period. During this period, you can't drive after 12:00am until some hour in the morning, drive by yourself (need 1 passenger with a class 5(normal) drivers license that is a minimum of 25 years of age, and your are limited to only immediate faimly and 1 friend in on top of that). You must display the "L" sign on the car clearly (magnet, can stick to outside, or in the back window sing a supplied sticky bag or suction cups with hooks).

3.) After the "L" period passes, you can take your Class 7 drivers test. This will allow you to drive by yourself. It is referred to as the Novice stage, and you must display a magnetic "N" sign on the car clearly. You are limited to 1 passenger and immediate family, and there is no tolerance for alcohol (not even 0.08). This period goes for 2 years, and if you have no accidents or tickets you are able to take the Class 5 (normal license) test after 18months, 6 months early.

This is the stage I am at. I can get rid of my N now, but I'm waiting for my moms car to get new tires. I have no accidents of crashed on my license so I could go much earlier then I was expecting.

SheepStar

 

[no. 5]

I CAN VIRTUALLY GUARANTEE THAT NONE OF THE OTHER OCCUPANTS OF THAT SUV WERE BELTED OR THEY WOULD HAVE SURVIVED.

Sadly yes. I am constantly astounded by what little value people put on wearing a seat belt.

 

[gmichael]

Sadly yes. I am constantly astounded by what little value people put on wearing a seat belt.

I had a 35 year old friend die in a car accident. He was doing 30mph when he swerved to miss a jogger who had stumbled. He hit a truck coming the other way. With no seatbelt on, his steering wheel broke one of his ribs and pushed it into his lung. He drowned.
I always wear my belt now. Anyone in my car will also wear their belt, or find another ride.

 

[Gimpy Ric]

I went 15 years without wearing a seat belt, but now I have a lap belt and a chest belt on all the time I'm in my chair. They have auto style steel buckles.

When in transit, I have four point tie downs going to hard points on my wheelchair. My van has a fiberglass roof, but there is a roll cage built in. The Veterans Administration sends out an inspector to ok it before the interior goes in.

I've cheated death many times in my life, and my life is good.

I sure do feel sorry for those teenagers, and their families and friends .

 

[stratman]

On my way to an appointment last week I saw a site that in my jaded 30 years of driving on the Miami deathrace streets I hadn't seen before: a young, very pretty woman in her mid twenties speeding about 15 over the limit while eating out of a styrofoam plate, driving with her knees and a cell phone on her right hand. Welcome to Miami where a red light doesn't mean stop, it means maybe!