Hear what your saying av8boy and quite agree.
I for one choose to keep my belt fastened all the time I'm seated for obvious reasons, the trouble is that if the good people around me dont do so they may well injure me if they end up being thrown onto me during an encounter with clear air turbulence. Now granted its suggested in the pre-flight safety briefing that people stay belted up but only in passing and the reasons aren't explained fully or in any way graphically as it wouldnt do to suggest to them that something untoward could happen, they just dont want to consider the possibility let alone have it presented to them by the cabin crew.
As a point in case I once flew with someone who was truly terrified of flying. I knew about this for sometime before the flight and she kept asking me for reassurance so I suggested to her that it really is incredibly safe but if she wanted to feel as if she had done all she could to ensure some additional level of personal safety she might consider wearing shoes that would stay on her feet, natural materials that covered her legs and arms, checked out the locations of and counted rows to exits and stayed belted up as much as possible. Of course she asked the reasons for all these suggestions so I did my best to explain in a non dramatic fashion and simply emphasise that she would simply be giving herself a head start in as many ways as a possible.
Come the day of the flight she dressed in a flimsy synthetic skirt and flip flops, hardly ideal! I didnt ask why as I thought it would probably be enough to stop her flying at all to give her any thoughts about an incident on the day itself. I didnt need to ask anyway, it was simply a case of the fact that the only level she could consider the possibilities on was that of 'guaranteed' safety, to of prepared slightly for anything else would to some degree of been to acknowledge the possibility of something going wrong and was simply unacceptable to her, no matter how tiny and remote the danger.
This is the way the majority of pax think I'm afraid, to them its all or nothing and the only way they fly is with the illusion of assured safety, it doesnt really add up because I'm sure most of the people who neglect to wear their seatbelt in the cruise on an aircraft will wear one habitually all the time when travelling by car even though there is no crew to remind them to do so, perhaps they see a belt as a life saver there but cant in an aircraft environment where there there is little or no sensation of speed or movement or any understanding of the possibilities for unexpected turbulence and its possible violence.
I take my precautions without fail when flying, sure a situation could arise where they make not one jot of difference but then again one could arise where they allow me to help not only myself but possibly others. I'll take that option for increased safety just like I dont drive without a seatbelt. Others would do well to do the same but I think they have the mindset of the young lady I mentioned and simply will not, or maybe cannot, consider the possibilities.