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Seat Belt Use on TV

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by Mendel Leisk, Oct 24, 2015.

  1. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    There seems to be a lot of unused seatbelts in celluloid land. To be fair, the following example (Fargo, Season 2, Episode 2) is set sometime in the '70's, but there's seat belts in view. The little girl in the back seat leans forward to join the conversation at one point, obviously not belted in either.

    Longmire is another example, more-or-less present-day setting, nary a seatbelt.

    Screen grab from Fargo S2E2:

    image.jpeg
     
    #1 Mendel Leisk, Oct 24, 2015
    Last edited: Oct 24, 2015
  2. tpenny67

    tpenny67 Active Member

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    On a similar note, it bugs me whenever TV shows somebody being shot with a paintball gun while not wearing eye protection. Forget about setting an example, I'm surprised the actors are even willing to take the risk of having an eye put out. On the other hand, maybe they're not "real" paintball guns, because you never see welts on them from all the previous takes of the scene.
     
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  3. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    I suppose since we are dealing with story telling and either filming a television episode or a movie, I'm OK with the vehicles being representative of what they actually were and are, for the time they were set in.

    I grew up riding in a 67 Mustang, that greatest safety feature was lap belt seat belts. That's all it had.

    I also factor in that while filming a scene or shot the chances of an uncontrolled accident happening are slim to none. If a crash or accident is part of the scene then safety equipment WILL be used.

    So anyway, if a vehicle is one that wouldn't necessarily have the safety equipment and/or the time period being represented is one in which the majority of vehicles did NOT have shoulder seat belts, then I don't sweat it.

    I think the vast, nearly entire majority of people today recognize the value of seat belts and air bags.
    I don't think we need to go back to episodes of Perry Mason and "Photo Shop" shoulder belts into the vehicles.
     
  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Well those aren't photoshopped seat belts in the pic above.

    Longmire, the other show I mentioned, is up to date. Nobody but nobody drives belted in, and they're mostly cops.

    Chain smoking protaginists are similar. Wonder what goes on behind the scenes; assume the actor is a hardcore smoker, I mean: who would want to take up smoking to get in character?
     
  5. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    Oh, I agree, if it's a vehicle that did/does have shoulder seat belts being operated, then if I was an actor or director, I'd film using the belts.
    Have no idea why Longmire doesn't buckle up for safety.

    I remember watching a more than one movie, where the "bad guy" gets thwarted because he doesn't buckle up, and the "hostage" driver purposely crashed the car because THEY are buckled up. So the bad guy goes through the windshield while the "hero" is relatively unscathed.
     
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  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Now I'm hooked. This is S10E6 of Somerset Murders (available on Netflix), everyone belted in. Responsible Brits:

    image.jpeg
     
  7. frodoz737

    frodoz737 Top Wrench

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    So we can watch the most violent side of humanity on TV...but no sex...now everyone has to wear their seatbelts? What's wrong with this picture?
     
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  8. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    I've heard cops don't like to wear seat belts, and some places exempt them from seat belt laws. So some shows might be sticking with reality.
    If we are going to photo shop out the smoking, why not do the seat belts at the same time.
     
  9. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    I'm generally against censoring the past even if it represents actions that have since become politically, socially or even from a safety standpoint unacceptable or incorrect.

    We're all adults here. I think we can watch old episodes of Perry Mason and understand that vehicles have become safer. I think we can watch Movies, Plays, where characters might smoke...and not be lured into smoking ourselves.

    I think a greater danger than showing non-seatbelt use, or even smoking a cigarette, is trying to deny the reality of the past through censorship today.
     
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  10. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I'll maybe try emailing the producers of Fargo. Regarding the pic I posted: there's seat belts (dangling), the guy's wife is in the death seat, the little girl unbelted in the back, snowy highway.

    And he's an effing cop, lol.
     
  11. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    But it is also set in the '70s. It wasn't until the late '80s that seatbelt use was really pushed. My father still puts the shoulder belt under his arm.
     
  12. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Well you guys are hammering away at the "it's the 70's" argument, but shows portraying the present are doing the same thing. I'll have to do some longmire screen grabs...
     
  13. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    This certainly matches my memory of the 1970s. Mom and I used the belts most of the time, the rest of the family much less so. Studies of seatbelt use found it to be generally quite low.

    The first shoulder belts in my family were on a 1973 Ford. Front bench only, and the shoulder portion was detachable. It could be unclipped and left hanging from the pillar while the lap portion was used alone. And the front bench still had a center seat, with a lap-only belt.
     
  14. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    If it's a cop show, then it could be because many cops prefer not to wear a seat belt that gets tangled up in the gear they are wearing.
    Or the wearing of seatbelts of seatbelts doesn't add to the scene, or may even hinder the flow in the ones where the character is getting out of the car.
    I didn't wear a belt as a kid. We also didn't have bolster seats for children at the time. I always wear a belt now, and would make sure minors in my car are too. I don't buy that people will automatically imitate the behaviors of characters in TV shows and movies. Most of the audience likely doesn't even notice if the seatbelts are being used or not.
     
  15. RRxing

    RRxing Senior Member

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    This is why I don't watch too much TV. I have enough bad habits already. :p
     
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  16. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    We've got about 5 more seasons of Somerset Murders (Brits) to get through. They always use their seat belts, none of the cop protagonists smoke, they don't even pack guns, but somehow manage. Very civilized, lol.
     
  17. frodoz737

    frodoz737 Top Wrench

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    Oh sure...that's real life. :LOL:
     
  18. srellim234

    srellim234 Senior Member

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    Interesting side note: I've been watching old episodes of Emergency! on Netflix and one I watched this morning showed Paramedic John Gage put on his safety goggles to use the "jaws of life" to get into a car and get to the victim. With Paramedic Roy de Soto standing right next to him with his face as close as Gage's but not wearing goggles.

    Last October an officer was killed on his way to a fire scene in Missouri when he crashed and was ejected from the car. His fellow officers confirmed he wasn't wearing a seat belt. That and that horrendous New York police van wreck in Sept. 2014 where the rookie cop was ejected and killed while eight other cops were injured. None of them were wearing seat belts.
     
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  19. srellim234

    srellim234 Senior Member

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    Just when we're having this discussion we have a wild ejection for not wearing a seat belt here in L.A. This morning on the 5 freeway a guy rolled his Ford Fiesta and was ejected. He was thrown vertically and landed up in an overhead freeway sign for the Colorado Street exit. The fire department had to bring in ladders and climb up there to retrieve the body. Again, not wearing a seat belt.
     
  20. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    Made the news here. Seat belt use is heavily enforced over here so such accidents are rare.

    California driver thrown from car lands on LA freeway sign 20 feet up | Daily Mail Online