Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site zaphod.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!alberta!sask!zaphod!dkatz
From: dkatz@zaphod.UUCP (Dave Katz)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: If you could save lives, would you?
Message-ID: <350@zaphod.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 20-Sep-85 18:56:41 EDT
Article-I.D.: zaphod.350
Posted: Fri Sep 20 18:56:41 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 24-Sep-85 03:29:54 EDT
References: <2778@harpo.UUCP> <150@emacs.uucp>
Reply-To: dkatz@zaphod.UUCP (Dave Katz)
Organization: Develcon Electronics, Saskatoon, SK
Lines: 27
Keywords: seatbelts airbags

In article <150@emacs.uucp> pz@emacs.UUCP (Paul Czarnecki) writes:
>...
>
>Witness Rick Mears' (professional race driver) ...
>
>Witness Pat Bedard's horrible accident at Indy two races ago. ...
>
>...
>
>Need I go on?  None of these drivers had air bags.  Seatbelts were
>sufficient in these ultra high speed accidents.
>

While I generally agree with the points which Paul makes in his posting,
I don't think it is fair to reference to the accidents of Mears or
Bedard.  The cars which these guys drive are specially designed to
literally disintegrate in an accident.  The pieces that fly off all act
to reduce the impact to the driver by carrying away some of the
momentum.   Only the inside structural protection to the driver is
supposed to remain undamaged.  That is why you see great hunks of
hardware, and wheels and the like going in every direction.

While this is a good idea (most of the time) in professional racing, I'm
not sure one would really want it in the middle of rush hour traffic.

What I mean to say is YES - SEAT BELTS CAN SAVE LIVES, but don't use
such special cases as proof.