Mum's horrific car crash photo is a belt-up reminder and thousands agree with her

Incredible but true - a Pennsylvania mother with her baby and toddler emerged unscathed after another driver slammed into her car, crushing it into a devastating mess.

How could anyone have survived such a horrific crash? It's a miracle, hailed many netizens after seeing a photo of the Honda CRV which was mangled beyond recognition.

What was recognisable in the image were two child seats - one for an infant - and both looking still intact.

The seats and buckling up saved their lives, said Jenna Casado Rabberman, who survived to tell her harrowing story.

Rabberman deliberately showed the two seats in a Facebook photo to drive home the message that proper car seat security could help save lives in accidents.

"THIS is why you buckle your kids into their car seats correctly every SINGLE time. Even when they scream because the straps are tight. Even when they complain about the chest clip or being rear facing," she wrote.

She only intended to share her experience with her family and friends but was surprised that her post on Sept 26 has gone viral with people still talking about it today.

Shared more than 312,700 times, the post has garnered 73,000 comments and 119,000 likes, which shows that the discussion on belting up has obviously struck a chord with many.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/jenna.casadorabberman/posts/10102408310069428[/embed]

Recalling the incident, which could have killed her, her three-week-old baby boy and barely three-year-old son, Rabberman wrote: "We stopped for milk on the way home from preschool yesterday. We were minutes from home. Another car slammed into us. You never think it will happen to you.

"My boys escaped without a scratch but the paramedics told me it could have been very different had I not taken the extra two minutes to be sure they were buckled correctly."

Her message was sobering indeed.

Supporting her safety reminder to parents, Terrie Crawford wrote: "We had dear friends in a car accident where one of their children was not buckled and the other was. The one buckled is still with us today, but the other was gone too soon."

Cultivating the habit from young is important, said another Facebook user LeAnn.

"I used to pick up my grandkids from school when they were younger and I told them that my car would not start until all belts were buckled. Of course they buckled up fast because I was taking them bowling. They all still buckle up," she said.

Apart from calling Rabberman's experience a "miracle", Tammy LeCroy praised her for being diligent in ensuring that her sons were correctly buckled up.

"My younger daughter has little ones (seats) and went to a certified class to make sure she was doing it right!!," she wrote.

Responding to the overwhelming response to her post, Rabberman said: "I never expected this post to be seen by so many people! I really only posted it for family & friends but hopefully it will save a life by making someone think twice about buckling their child in."

chenj@sph.com.sg