Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site hou5a.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!vax135!ariel!hou5f!hou5g!hou5h!hou5a!jhc From: jhc@hou5a.UUCP (Jonathan Clark) Newsgroups: net.auto Subject: Encouraging seatbelts and injury rates Message-ID: <570@hou5a.UUCP> Date: Wed, 20-Jun-84 15:06:01 EDT Article-I.D.: hou5a.570 Posted: Wed Jun 20 15:06:01 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 21-Jun-84 07:43:23 EDT Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Holmdel, NJ Lines: 28 It has long been my belief that the way to encourage people to wear seatbelts is not by legislation, but by using 'contributory negligence' to reduce insurance payouts of medical bills, damages and so on. The theory here is that a car is a highly dangerous machine, and that if you don't take *some* precautions to avoid injury in the case of an accident then you should get hit where it hurts - in the pocketbook. Of course, people who didn't want to wear seatbelts could then buy extra insurance to cover all medical bills and so on, but the cost would (probably) be considerable. You could probably extend the idea to DWI. BTW, when are we going to get sensible and properly enforce the manslaughter and assault laws for drivers who kill and injure other people? Also, does anyone have any accurate, up-to-date statistics for the per-mile accident and fatality/injury rates for different road types in different countries? I have heard it alleged that (for example) 'autobahns are safer than freeways', 'freeways are safer than autobahns', 'crossing the street in NY is safer than jumping off the Empire State Building, but not by much' and so on. Having driven many thousands of miles in Europe and the US, I would *prefer* to drive in Europe and it seems to me to be safer, but I have no figures to back this up. Would anyone care to come up with some hard figures? Please?