Page 1 of 4 1 2 3 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 31
  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    663

    Default Why seat belts?

    Why are seats mandatory? Which one of the 4 reasons you think below?:

    1. Each state loves us. lol
    2. A good way for the state to make money giving out tickets.
    3. To keep the insurance down.
    4. Other.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    28,906

    Default Re: Why seat belts?

    Seats, or seat belts? Driving without a seat wouldn't be much fun.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    663

    Default Re: Why seat belts?

    Quote Quoting aaron
    Seats, or seat belts? Driving without a seat wouldn't be much fun.
    Ok, my bad. I meant seat belts. Thanks Aaron.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    28,906

    Default Re: Why seat belts?

    Seat belt laws and helmet laws are often motivated by cost-savings. Uninsured patients treated in public hospitals can cost the taxpayer a lot of money, and seat belts and helmets generally do diminish the severity of injuries from motor vehicle accidents.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Seattle
    Posts
    3,577

    Default Re: Why seat belts?

    In lab tests, it is easily shown that seat belts SHOULD save lives and/or reduce serious injuries. 49 or our 50 states have seat belt laws (NH being the only holdout), as a result. However, not one single country that has imposed mandatory seat belts in automobiles and enacted has demonstrated a marked decrease in traffic deaths, especially in the US.

    Recently, however, one of the most outspoken critics of seat belt laws was actually killed in a car accident. He was NOT wearing a seat belt. The other two passengers, both of whom had their seat belts on, had only minor injuries.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    California
    Posts
    20,594

    Default Re: Why seat belts?

    Moving from empirical to anecdotal, I cannot recall a [u]minor[/] injury crash involving a party without a seatbelt ... I can recall MANY instances of fatal (or nearly so) collisions involving un-seatbelted individuals.

    I have seen un-belted drivers decapitated by the speed of the impact, thrown 150' THROUGH the air (landing on a roof), compacted from 5'10 to 2'6", crushed, mangled, maimed, and otherwise destroyed. Fewer such dire injury occurs to the belted passengers in low and medium speed collisions.

    The reason the stats may not show a marked decrease is that even belted you will receive injury. No state that I know of delineates in too great a detail the extent of injury to parties in a crash. In my state we have four categories: Fatal Injury, Severe Injury, Other Visible Injury, and Complaint of Pain. A Severe injury can include a bleeding laceration or a broken finger and this would be statted the SAME as the guy who had his pelvis crushed when he got thrown from the vehicle. I would guess that if a study were done concerning the extent of injury, the belted passengers and drivers would be much, much lower than than the un-belted ones.

    The only negative I have seen for belts is with drowning ... and this is very rare ... though I'd say it happens twice a year in my area, thought he person so killed USUALLY was unconscious on impact and would likely have died in any event (belted or un-belted) due to drowning.

    - Carl

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    California
    Posts
    20,594

    Default Re: Why seat belts?

    Quote Quoting Guilty Or Not Guilty
    2. A good way for the state to make money giving out tickets.
    Hmm ... must depend on your state. I know that we don't make money on them. It costs more for my agency to enforce one seatbelt ticket then we would receive back for three.

    - Carl

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Seattle
    Posts
    3,577

    Default Re: Why seat belts?

    First, let me explain that I am a fanatic about seatbelts. My car does not MOVE until everyone in it is belted. I had a friend of my daughter's tell me that he doesn't wear seatbelts -- his whole family doesn't. I turned off the motor, slouched down in my seat and said, "Wake me when you have it buckled." It took about two minutes.

    That said, here are the fatality statistics for the State of Washington and the US. We passed a mandatory seatbelt law in 2000.

    Year - WA - US
    1998: 662
    1999: 637
    2000: 631 - 41,945 (WA Mandatory Seatbelt Law went into effect 7/1/2000)
    2001: 649 - 42,196
    2002: 658 - 43,005
    2003: 600 - 42,884
    2004: 563 - 42,646

    During that time, here is the "observed" seatbelt usage in WA State:

    2000: 82% - 71%
    2001: 83% - 73%
    2002: 93% - 75%
    2003: 95% - 79%
    2004: 95% - 80%

    As you can see, nationally, the death toll stays in a fairly narrow range, while WA death toll (after a slow start) dropped dramatically when seatbelt usage hit 95%. Perhaps the nation will also realize such a reduction if we can hit 95+ % across the country.

    Another interesting statistic is the number of deaths per 100 million vehicle miles. In WA it has dropped from 1.21 in 2000 to 1.01 in 2004 -- a 17% decrease, taking into account population fluctuations and miles driven.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    663

    Default Re: Why seat belts?

    I think motorcycle helmets are more important than car seat belts. Motorcycle helmets are not mandatory in all states.

    Imagine our states making us wear helmets inside of cars in the future.
    Won't helmets and seat belts be safer in a car? If so, shall we fight for that new law?

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    California
    Posts
    20,594

    Default Re: Why seat belts?

    Quote Quoting Guilty Or Not Guilty
    I think motorcycle helmets are more important than car seat belts. Motorcycle helmets are not mandatory in all states.

    Imagine our states making us wear helmets inside of cars in the future.
    Won't helmets and seat belts be safer in a car? If so, shall we fight for that new law?
    Maybe if head injuries were the major cause of death in traffic collisions, such a thing might standa chance of passing ... but that doesn't appear to be the case. You'd need to require padded body suits - not helmets.

    - Carl

    1. Sponsored Links
       

Page 1 of 4 1 2 3 ... LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. Seat Belts
    By souperdave in forum Debate the Issues
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 03-01-2010, 06:38 PM
  2. Seat Belt Violations: Seat Belts and Private Property
    By gonecountry in forum Moving Violations, Parking and Traffic Tickets
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 11-02-2009, 11:33 AM
  3. Seat Belt Violations: Seat Belts at Slow Speeds
    By Rdp1963 in forum Moving Violations, Parking and Traffic Tickets
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 07-09-2009, 03:53 PM
  4. Seat Belt Violations: Difference Between Seat Belts and Helmets
    By More_Liberty in forum Moving Violations, Parking and Traffic Tickets
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 12-27-2008, 10:42 PM
  5. Defective Equipment: Seat Belts vs. Shoulder Straps
    By Guilty Or Not Guilty in forum Moving Violations, Parking and Traffic Tickets
    Replies: 19
    Last Post: 09-25-2006, 04:47 PM
 
 
Sponsored Links

Legal Help, Information and Resources