Seatbelts while on duty

[Integrity]

I am curious...after reading a few posts on the Officer Down website, I noticed a lot of deaths to officers as a result of MVA's. That being said, how many of you (honestly) wear your seatbelts while on patrol? Are there times where you may choose not to and if so, when and why?

Thanks!

[DepDog]

I always wear mine. I see too many accidents where people not wearing seatbelts die after being ejected from a vehicle.

[acreature]

I almost always wera mine. It's on while running calls, car chases, on highways, etc. But I choose not to wear it while in neighborhoods riding around at 15 mph.... easier to get out on the dealers when they run.

[sbrad]

Always. I only take it off when I am close to a call. Don't want to get caught strapped into something if I need to jump out in a hurry.

[realpolice]

Always. Working traffic investigation, you quickly see the amount of damage even at slow speeds that can be done (i.e. your knees hitting the dash, being thrown from your vehicle, major face and brain damage, body parts being severed, etc. I'll pass, thank you). Most departments (including mine) will not cover you if you're injured on the job and found to not be wearing your seat belt.

[slim202cop]

I do. Always. It's mandatory here, and I also know the difference that a seatbelt makes in a collision.
Also it's not really appropriate for me to stop people for seatbelt violations on a daily basis if I'm not wearing mine.

Same here too.

[121Traffic]

I wear mine when on large and medium sized streets in my city. It comes off the moment I turn into trailer parks, apartment complexes, and parking lots though.

[mcsap]

Always , except when rolling up on a call or in a ...trailer park or apt. complex. And I never saw Norm's sister in my life.

[P01IC3M4N]

all the time. i unbuckle it as i'm merging over on a t-stop though.

[121Traffic]

LOL DC

Actually saw a decent looking, attractive girl on a civil disturbance call last night! Her and her bf were being kicked out of the house by the bf's aunt, who didn't own the hou--er, mobile home. She was dressed in nicer "clubbing" type clothing, had all her teeth, and she looked bathed and squeaky clean!

I was, however, turned off by the piece of floss that she called a G-string sticking out the sides and back of the waistline of her tight black pants.

Or was I? ;) :D lol

[michiganstud]

I wear mine almost always.

The only time it comes off is when i'm rolling through a park or somewhere when i'm looking for something or someone. The idea is that I don't want to have a seatbelt to fumble with when I have to make a fast exit.

[Deputy757]

I almost always wera mine. It's on while running calls, car chases, on highways, etc. But I choose not to wear it while in neighborhoods riding around at 15 mph.... easier to get out on the dealers when they run.

Ditto!

[Integrity]

I have been curious about the whole seatbelt thing. I see officers driving around town without them on and wonder if they ever do put them on. I fell asleep driving when I was 3 minutes from home and hit a telephone pole....if it wasn't for the seatbelt, I may not be here since I wrote off the vehicle and cracked the sidewalk with the impact from the pole moving.

Besides, with the occasional report of a person running a light or street racing, you never know when someone else could run in to you instead.

[corporal716]

when the seatbelt law first came out in california officers were exempt from it.
Shortly there after your department policy came out saying to wear them.
A lot of officer did not like that because they thought it would hinder their fast exit from the car. Most of us where I worked started wearing them and taking them off when we got onto the steet where we were going.

Funny thing is the night I started wearing it, I was in an accident while on my way home in my personal vehicle. If it were not for the new policy I probable would not of had it on. I will never for get that.

[coucousis]

I write people for it... so ... I'de be a fool not to wear it myself...

What I disagree with however is that "Taxi driver" have an exemption down here and don't have to wear it when working in their town ... they must wear it on higways and off duty however.We don't even get that exemption specified in our Highway Safety Code.

Like everybody else ... I usually unbuckle when approaching a call or looking for someone.