Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!genrad!decvax!harpo!eagle!alice!rabbit!jj From: jj@rabbit.UUCP Newsgroups: net.flame Subject: Air bags are reckless endangerment of those who are responsible. Message-ID: <1634@rabbit.UUCP> Date: Mon, 27-Jun-83 11:26:49 EDT Article-I.D.: rabbit.1634 Posted: Mon Jun 27 11:26:49 1983 Date-Received: Mon, 27-Jun-83 23:13:17 EDT Lines: 51 The way that I remember it was that you were just as safe in a vehicle that had seatbelts, if you had both lap and shoulder belts, and you were wearing them properly. Furthermore, lap and shoulder belts protect you against many kinds of crashes that aid bags don't, things like sideswipes, rolling impacts that last more than .8 seconds, repeated collisions, etc. In short, the removal of seatbelts and the addition of airbags constitutes a significant (and government mandated) increase in hazard for any responsible individual. Such constitutes a threat to my person. (I include automatic seat belts as well, as they don't include a lap belt, and use instead a knee dislocatorpanel to prevent the individual from sliding under the shoulder strap. In some impacts, the individual will slide forward anyhow. The position of the panel that I have titled "knee dislocator" is such that it will result in crippling injury to the legs in any crash over parking lot speeds. It is, none the less, regarded as a superior alternative by the court, apparantly.) Effectively, the only excuse for air bags is that a lot of people won't use their seatbelts. Morally, requiring air bags is reckless endangerment, since I won't be able (or permitted) to have a much superior form of protection called seatbelts. Anyone who supports airbags is, as far as I'm concerned, guilty of assault on my person in the case that my automobile is struck by another. While I will agree that automobiles could be constructed in a more crashworthy manner, I disagree with any policy that results in a decrease in safety, and air bags is such a policy. I propose that the money that is being extorted from the public for air-bags be instead used to create a uniform driving safety school that provides instruction in self defense (proper and continuous seatbelt use, defensive driving, collision avoidance), proper etiquette, and the physics of rapidly moving objects (in a graphic and highly visual manner). I suspect that the amount of money that will be used to endanger the public through the use of airbags would suffice to make such a driving school available, over a 10 year period, to the entire population. In addition, I propose that people injured in an accident because of, or while they were, not wearing seat belts be held entirely liable for their own injuries. Furthermore, they should be held responsible for any furthering of the accident that occurred because they were thrown from the operator's position. Enough already, the government should stop trying to kill me.