Obese less likely to use seat belts

Incoming! Let's hope they cannot fit through the windshield.

"Like a lot of consumers, Paul McAleer focused on comfort when he recently went car shopping. Adjustable seats, a tilt steering wheel and extra height were all important.

Because he's a self-described 'fat guy,' the Web site designer also has to check to see if he can fit in the seat belt.

While McAleer buckles up when he drives, a new study found that seat belt use declines as body size increases. But even large drivers who want to use a seat belt may be thwarted because not all carmakers offer bigger belts or extenders.

'It would be in their best interest to make seat belts longer in the first place,' says McAleer, who lives in Chicago."

No, "self-described fat guy," it would be in everybody's "best interest[s]" for you to lose weight.

Instead, what are this fat person's concerns?

"McAleer, who runs a Web site called Big Fat Blog, said he's worried the study will focus criticism on the obese instead of the design of seat belts. His new car has seat belts long enough for him, but he said his wife has a harder time buckling up."

Of course it is not his or his wife's fault. It is the fault of the seat belt designers.

Hey, fat guy, Valentine's Day is coming up. Do something to show the wife you care. Help her lose weight and buy her an extender until she can fit into a human-sized seat belt.

Stop bitching and blaming the rest of society for your self-generated problems.

Ante up a few bucks to pay for the consequences of your and your large lady's choice to consume Calories irresponsibly. At least you won't be able to spend those dollars on Calories. And that is a start.

"The NHTSA decided not to revise its standards since most top manufacturers including Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp., Chrysler LLC, Nissan Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co. have seat belts that are longer than required.

The companies each provide an average of 18-20 inches of extra belt length, more than enough to accommodate the largest percentage of drivers. Many of those manufacturers also have seat belt extensions or longer belts that can be purchased or installed at dealerships. Ford offers their extensions for free, said Wes Sherwood, a Ford spokesman.

Several foreign brands, such as Honda, BMW, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, do not provide seat belt extenders. Ford's Volvo division requires buyers to sign a waiver stating they've read a list of warnings and rules for using extenders, said Daniel Johnston, a Volvo spokesman.

Extensions have to be used carefully because they can be hazardous if used by passengers who are too small, said Phil Haseltine, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety.

According to the NHTSA, an incorrectly sized seat belt extender could fail to provide upper body restraint and may pull the lap belt onto the abdomen during a front impact, possibly leading to internal injury."

Here are more ways fat people pose a risk to the rest of us and squander sick care dollars by eschewing injury prevention procedures.

"Only about 70 percent of extremely obese individuals reported always using a seat belt, while nearly 83 percent of normal-weight people always used their belts, the study found. More than half of those killed in auto accidents weren't wearing seat belts, according to the latest federal figures. The study's findings were published in the journal Obesity."

Perhaps there is no real need for the belts since these fat folk wear their own pillows, cushions and insulation anyway.

"'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.'"

They are essentially BYOA - Bring Your Own Airbag.

Or is it Adipose-bag?