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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!cca!ima!inmet!wkb
From: wkb@inmet.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: Make mine seatbelts. - (nf)
Message-ID: <185@inmet.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 13-Jul-83 18:39:11 EDT
Article-I.D.: inmet.185
Posted: Wed Jul 13 18:39:11 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 14-Jul-83 08:11:07 EDT
Lines: 23

#R:floyd:-171100:inmet:2700006:000:1223
inmet!wkb    Jul 12 10:30:00 1983

Remember back when the seat belts debates raged on?  Remember how a few
anti "forcing wearing of seat belts" used to relate obscure accidents
where a driver was thrown clear of a car because he wasn't wearing his
seat belt and he would have died if he had been wearing his seat belt
being trapped in the car?  We all laughed and didn't give these
arguments much thought since who's going to bet on a million to one
chance that an accident that happens to you is the extremely rare case
where not wearing a seat belt is safer.

But now during the air bag debate, we get to hear a wonderful story
about how air bags would not be safe if the guy in the car next to you
hits a deer on an interstate highway.  Come on, lets stop relating
strange accidents to support our arguments and not give any more
credence to the one in a million accidents than they deserve.  I don't
understand how one bizarre accident can make up your mind about air
bags forever.  I'm much more influenced by articles in reputable
magazines (Consumer Reports, etc.) than by scary stories.  When hearing
about accidents like this one, it seems important to keep in mind the
statistical odds (the average from both sides of the issue) of them
happening.