Man in 'no doubt' he would be dead without seat belt

A Dunedin man who says a seat belt saved his life is now one of the stars of a confronting new road safety campaign.

James McDonald says he used to be blase about belting up, until a bloody crash where he slammed into a truck and smashed his face on his steering wheel, his life saved only by a seat belt.

A billboard featuring a photo of the 23-year-old wearing ultra-realistic make-up, re-creating bruises sustained in the crash, now looms above the car park of the Mornington Tavern.

The advertisement is part of an NZ Transport Agency campaign launched last month reminding motorists of the consequences of failing to wear a seat belt, something that kills about 90 New Zealanders a year.

Mr McDonald said he was driving towards the city along Dunedin's Portsmouth Dr on September 27, 2017.

"Basically just your normal sunny Dunedin day, driving down a road that I'd driven down on average maybe five times a day for the last six years - nothing new.''

However, the sun hung low in the sky that day.

The sun-strike became so bad as he approached the Orari St intersection that he was unable to look straight forward, and he used his rearview mirrors to stay within the lane.

When he saw a block of shade moving into view, he thought he would be able to look straight again, but that shade was caused by an 18-wheeler Post Haste truck crossing into his path.

He smashed into the truck, slamming his head into the steering wheel and cleaving open his nose - a scar remains visible two years on.

"I remember it all ... I was knocked out.

"The brunt of the impact was my nose on the steering wheel.''

He regained consciousness a couple of seconds later, roused by the sensation of blood flowing from his face and down his arms.

Shortly after, an off-duty medic arrived, rushed to his car and tended to his injuries, discovering he had also broken his arm.

"I held my nose together while she held my arm. She got some temporary pain relief and basically kept me awake and focused until paramedics arrived.''

He spent eight days in hospital followed by a long recovery, more mental than physical.

"It took a good six months to get back on my horse.''

He has only recently returned to full-time work, as store manager of the Leith St Liquorland.

Mr McDonald does not hesitate in crediting the seat belt with his survival.

"There is absolutely no doubt in my mind ... that if I had no seat belt, I wouldn't be here today.''

Growing up, he says he was often a bit casual about wearing seat belts, especially if just heading down to the shops, but now urges everyone to belt up.

"You could literally be sitting still in an intersection ... with no seat belt on, doing absolutely nothing wrong, and it takes one other person to make a mistake.''

A special-effects make-up crew and a photographer visited him after he responded to an advertisement on social media asking for real survivors who wore a seat belt during a crash.

The result was make-up closely mimicking the scars he suffered in the crash, he said.

"Basically, I had every colour of the rainbow on my face for a good two or three months.''

george.block@odt.co.nz