In the early morning hours of September 26, 2015, the driver of a vintage Ford was ejected from his vehicle. According to ABC 7, the driver was seriously injured during the crash, but his rat rod took the brunt of the collision.
The cause of the accident is unknown, but highway patrol officers will continue their investigation. The driver lost control of the 1940’s Ford and collided with the center median on Interstate 5. After slamming into the concrete barrier the roadster ended up on side and was struck by Toyota sedan.
Another Toyota vehicle (Camry) slammed into the first Toyota, pushing the rat rod from its side to an upside down position. As the vehicles came to stop, a fire erupted and engulfed the rat rod. Emergency personnel worked diligently to put out the fire.
During the interview with emergency personnel on the scene, the seat belt issue was brought up once again. In California, the law does not require owners to install seat belts in vehicles that were never equipped with them. In most circumstances, seat belts save lives, but when a roadster lands on its lid the outcome is likely fatal.
During crashes where drivers are not restrained there is high probability of ejection, but in this case it may have saved this driver’s life. Restraints are required in a racecar and your average daily driver because they are designed to keep the driver and passengers safe, so it is worthwhile to consider adding them to your hot rod, rat rod, or project car.
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