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From: jj@rabbit.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: Make mine seatbelts. - (nf)
Message-ID: <1693@rabbit.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 14-Jul-83 11:53:08 EDT
Article-I.D.: rabbit.1693
Posted: Thu Jul 14 11:53:08 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 15-Jul-83 18:01:03 EDT
References: <185@inmet.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Labs, Murray Hill
Lines: 33


Reading wkb's response to the above article. (The response concerned 
myths about seatbelts compared to myths about airbags, claiming that
the arguments about airbags were comparable to the fairy tales told
about seatbelts when they were first installed in cars.)
	The author missed two points, one ethical and one practical.
	The practical point is that the probability of a seatbelt being
injurious (beyond the bruises it leaves in a head-on crash) are very small,
reportedly (AAA statistics, but somewhat old) 1:1600.  The probability of
air bags not being effective are roughly comparable to the probability
of a sideswipe accident (I seem to remember 5%, but might be bigger) or an
off-the-road trip (rolling or not) where there are several impacts, another
25-50% of fatal accidents (depends on who you believe), thus airbags 
don't help half of the time, or so, and the limited remaining seatbelt 
protection is all you  have to save you (no shoulder belt, you're blinded
by the bag, deafened by the concussion , and unable to steer if the capability remains in the
automobile).  The two ideas (about seatbelts and airbags) are simply not
compatable, and the argument is just another guilt by association trip
put on by one of the net sophists.  
	The ethical point is that you don't have to wear seatbelts,
you can indeed take them OUT if you insist.    With airbags, half of the
seatbelt is automatically taken out, i.e. you don't have the choice of
having it at all, and the airbags (mostly unremovable without great trouble
and expense, even then leaving the dash/steering wheel a mess) are 
unavoidable, whether or not you want them.  I realize that some of you
don't see the hazard involved in letting the govenment compell you
to take THEIR form of protection, but I can't educate all of you
in good sense.

rabbit!(vacation the next two weeks)jj