10 Car Crash Survivors Pose Proudly For A Chilling Photo Project To Raise Awareness About Seatbelt Safety

Shocking portraits of the searing bruises that seatbelts can leave behind after a car crash are being celebrated as survival badges of honor, and showing the importance of belting up.

The initiative is part of an NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) social awareness campaign to reduce the number of deaths on NZ roads. According to them, 90 people die each year because they weren’t wearing their seatbelt, most of whom are young men in rural areas. The confronting portraits are of 10 real-life road accident survivors, whose post-crash injuries were recreated by the SFX make-up company PROFX.

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Liam Bethell

10 Car Crash Survivors Pose Proudly For A Chilling Photo Project To Raise Awareness About Seatbelt Safety

Image credits: ourproductionteam

Kahutia Foster

10 Car Crash Survivors Pose Proudly For A Chilling Photo Project To Raise Awareness About Seatbelt Safety

Image credits: ourproductionteam

“A seatbelt really does leave a mark like this,” emergency medical specialist Dr. Natasha McKay, who provided her expertise to the road safety project, explained. “They will save your life, but they will leave you a mark to show how they’ve done it.”

Dion Perry

10 Car Crash Survivors Pose Proudly For A Chilling Photo Project To Raise Awareness About Seatbelt Safety

Image credits: ourproductionteam

The social ads had been shown on billboards around the country, with the survivors releasing emotional videos that tell their story. The aim is to get people sharing their own survival stories, stressing the positive impact of seatbelts and the joy of being alive to tell the tale.

Dan Mason

10 Car Crash Survivors Pose Proudly For A Chilling Photo Project To Raise Awareness About Seatbelt Safety

Image credits: ourproductionteam

NZTA, who worked closely with marketing communications company Clemenger BBDO, was looking to change the attitudes of some men, who view the seatbelt as an optional extra rather than a life-saving necessity. “We’re selling an undesirable product to these guys,” spokesperson Rachel Prince told Designboom. “Research told us they think seatbelt public announcements are for kids, for the elderly, for everyone else. We worked with them to make the undesirable something they wanted to buy.”

Rick Haira

10 Car Crash Survivors Pose Proudly For A Chilling Photo Project To Raise Awareness About Seatbelt Safety

Image credits: ourproductionteam

Dylan Chirnside

10 Car Crash Survivors Pose Proudly For A Chilling Photo Project To Raise Awareness About Seatbelt Safety

Image credits: ourproductionteam

Back in 2014, Willy Carberry’s car crashed into a power pole at speed before flipping over onto its side. He only survived the horrific accident because he was wearing his seatbelt, and he had the bruise marks across his chest to prove it.

Willy Carberry

10 Car Crash Survivors Pose Proudly For A Chilling Photo Project To Raise Awareness About Seatbelt Safety

Image credits: ourproductionteam

“F***ing put a seatbelt on,” was his blunt message to guys who think they are invincible. In an interview with stuff.co.nz, he stressed that fate can be out of your hands when you’re out on the road, it’s not necessarily going to be a fault of your own that leads to a crash. “”It doesn’t matter how short the trip is. You never know who’s going to come out of the intersection and t-bone ya, or reverse out of a driveway, or an old lady going down the road, having a stroke.”

James Mcdonald

10 Car Crash Survivors Pose Proudly For A Chilling Photo Project To Raise Awareness About Seatbelt Safety

Image credits: ourproductionteam

“If you don’t wear it, you’re gambling with your life, if you ask me.”

Will Giles

10 Car Crash Survivors Pose Proudly For A Chilling Photo Project To Raise Awareness About Seatbelt Safety

Image credits: ourproductionteam

James Liberona-Feek

10 Car Crash Survivors Pose Proudly For A Chilling Photo Project To Raise Awareness About Seatbelt Safety

Image credits: ourproductionteam

Check out some of the survivors’ hard-hitting and emotional videos below

Image credits: NZTransportAgency

Here’s what people had to say – many shared their own stories

10 Car Crash Survivors Pose Proudly For A Chilling Photo Project To Raise Awareness About Seatbelt Safety

I'm a visual editor at Bored Panda. I kickstart my day with a mug of coffee bigger than my head, ready to tackle Photoshop. I navigate through the digital jungle with finesse, fueled by bamboo breaks and caffeine kicks. When the workday winds down, you might catch me devouring bamboo snacks while binging on the latest TV show, gaming or I could be out in nature, soaking up the tranquility and communing with my inner panda.

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What do you think ?

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The Dutches 5 years ago

No-brainer: ALWAYS wear your seatbelt.

70points

Uwe Theiss 5 years ago

It should be, but in a world where people don't vaccinate their children because they believe that viruses doesn't exist, a lot of people seem to be able to live without a brain.

67points

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Johnny 5 years ago

I used to know someone with a car with a beeping reminder to put on your seatbelt. She would put on the seatbelt to stop the beeping then take it right back off -- when I asked her why she did that: "It's too uncomfortable". I said "Won't it be less comfortable when your head crashes through the windshield in an accident?" She kind of laughed.... and never gave me a ride again.

8points

diane a 5 years ago (edited)

Important note - Princess Diana, Dodi Fayed and the driver of their car were not wearing seatbelts. Had those in the rear been used there is a very good chance they would have survived. Diana died due to internal injuries, Dodi was flung forward between the front seats.

7points

Cesi Baca 5 years ago

They are really an amazing invention when you think about it. They’re soft, comfortable, flimsy things and then with just enough speed and motion they turn into straps of steel that can stop an insane amount force.. Pretty brilliant.

5points

Ester Elizabeth 5 years ago

I agree I was in a car accident when I was really young...Had I not been wearing the seat belt...I would have flown out the window. Another thing... Why is everyone saying wear you're seat belt when most of our own SCHOOL BUSES don't have seat belts, one day our bus was changed out, and this one had seat belts on it, I was happy and buckled up, the other kids didn't and when they saw me strapping on the seat belt, they said, "Esther, why are you putting on your seat belt? Lol." And they laughed at me. I wasn't upset because I knew if something happened, I'd be safe. Another time the bus I was on slid of the road, and nobody was wearing seat belts. The bus didn't tip over but, I wouldn't have been as scared if the bus had seat belts. So school buses should have seat belts too. Not just cars.

1point

Tjler 5 years ago

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Alexandru Bucur 5 years ago

Yeah. Unfortunately, I know exactly how that fells, because I've been in a serious accident as a passenger, courtesy of an 18 year old kid who didn't have a driver's licence, but whose parents got him a BMW Z3 for his 18th birthday... He took it out for a ride, got to the first intersection, braked too late and then T-boned us so hard we spun 120 degrees. I was insanely lucky he hit just behind me and I have no doubt about it, the seatbelt and airbag saved me. Also, you'd think the airbag feels soft, because it's a bag full of air? Wrong! it's like being punched and for the next minute you're trying to make head or tails of what has happened and why there's dust everywhere... (it's talcum powder that helps the airbag deploy smoothly). So yeah, for Pete's sake, wear your seatbelt. It WILL save you.

37points

Monika Soffronow 5 years ago

I have very close friends who lost their only son in a similar accident, with the difference that the kid hit the passenger door. His dad had bought him his new car about a month before he got the license. Needless to say, my friends will never get over the loss.

7points

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Parmeisan 5 years ago

The air bag is also LOUD. And yes, not soft. I got a bloody nose when mine went off but absolutely, I was lucky just to be alive.

4points

Joseph Brzezinski 5 years ago

Many people think that powder is smoke when they first realize what happens.

2points

Withnail 5 years ago (edited)

It's second nature to me, because my parents were always very strict about it. I instinctively reach for the seat belt as soon as I get into the car. And I'm teaching my daughter the same. She doesn't like it, but she'll like it much more than what could have happened to these guys...

34points

toldyouso 5 years ago

Same to me. My parents were very strict with that but unfortunately my uncles and aunts not so i always felt very uncomfortable when my cousins didnt seaten their belt and nobody said anything except me...

14points

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Carol Emory 5 years ago

I always wear my seatbelt because I'm tired of hearing the dashboard chime going off whining that I forgot to click it.

3points

RaroaRaroa 5 years ago

I put my on as soon as my bum hits the seat. My 12 year old will tell me off if I start the car before she has hers on, even if I'm just backing out of the garage.

2points

Alexandra Baron 5 years ago

I never told my kids to put on a seatbelt i told them to make sure the driver didnt move the car before it was on. Took the focus off the belt, they knew they had limited power over the driver so they were usually pretty fast about getting the belt on.

2points

Ronel du Plessis 5 years ago

I refuse to even start the vehicle if my kids don't buckle up! Even when they were still in car seats. No belt, no movement. Sorry. I would much rather treat a wound, than to mourn the death of some one who refused to wear the seat belt

0points

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The Dutches 5 years ago

No-brainer: ALWAYS wear your seatbelt.

70points

Uwe Theiss 5 years ago

It should be, but in a world where people don't vaccinate their children because they believe that viruses doesn't exist, a lot of people seem to be able to live without a brain.

67points

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Johnny 5 years ago

8points

diane a 5 years ago (edited)

7points

Cesi Baca 5 years ago

5points

Ester Elizabeth 5 years ago

1point

Tjler 5 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Alexandru Bucur 5 years ago

37points

Monika Soffronow 5 years ago

7points

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Parmeisan 5 years ago

The air bag is also LOUD. And yes, not soft. I got a bloody nose when mine went off but absolutely, I was lucky just to be alive.

4points

Joseph Brzezinski 5 years ago

Many people think that powder is smoke when they first realize what happens.

2points

Withnail 5 years ago (edited)

34points

toldyouso 5 years ago

14points

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Carol Emory 5 years ago

I always wear my seatbelt because I'm tired of hearing the dashboard chime going off whining that I forgot to click it.

3points

RaroaRaroa 5 years ago

I put my on as soon as my bum hits the seat. My 12 year old will tell me off if I start the car before she has hers on, even if I'm just backing out of the garage.

2points