During Ramadan in Oman 2002, my wife and I and our two young Children (ages 1 and 3) were on our way to the airport to greet my father-in-law David. David’s wife Marea had recently died after suffering from cancer. They had been married for over 40 years so it was a great loss. He was coming to stay with us for Christmas to grieve and be with family; he didn’t expect or need what happened next.

On the way to the airport we drove on a three lane motorway, we were on the outside lane overtaking some slower cars on the inner two lanes. Less than a mile from the airport we were rapidly approached from the rear by a car traveling at speeds in excess of 160 km per hour. With no attempt to slow down the driver tried to get between us and the car traveling in the middle lane, an impossible move. The car hit us in the rear right hand corner. This first turned us sideways and then onto our roof, causing us to slide upside down for approximately 250m hitting 6 vehicles on route with sparks and glass spraying everywhere. We came to rest with dust, smoke and the smell of fuel around us. Within seconds there were the arms from passing drivers offering help though the windows. My wife and I were okay, but we needed to know how our children were as they were silent. Dreading the worst I climbed though to the back, squeezing between the seats and the crushed roof to find them upside down but firmly in their car seats. Thank God they were okay, shocked and minor cuts, but all right.

We were very lucky to have survived, only minor cuts, bruises. Had we not have used the car seats for the children and worn our seat belts the story could have been very different. David would have had no family to meet him and his trip to Oman very different.

For those people who don’t strap their children in or don’t wear seats belts please do in future. Without any doubt wearing them saved our lives.