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From: carnes@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP (Richard Carnes)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.auto
Subject: Re: Mandatory seatbelt laws (question for drivers/riders)
Message-ID: <427@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 12-Apr-85 21:22:44 EST
Article-I.D.: gargoyle.427
Posted: Fri Apr 12 21:22:44 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 13-Apr-85 06:43:49 EST
Organization: U. Chicago - Computer Science
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Xref: watmath net.politics:8501 net.auto:6379

>>1.  Unbelted drivers are far more apt to lose control of their
>>vehicles than belted drivers, thus endangering others.
>
>Let's see some statistics for this one.  

This claim is frequently made by experts in traffic safety.  I do not
know if studies have been done specifically to assess the magnitude
of this effect in preventing serious and fatal injuries.  However,
the Transportation Research Institute of the University of Michigan
and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have performed
or sponsored numerous studies of motor vehicle safety, and the
researchers in these organizations would be able to give a better
answer to this question than I can.  Another source is Elaine
Petrucelli of the American Association of Automotive Medicine.  Her
phone number (published in some literature I have) is 312-640-8440.
If someone less lazy than I am would like to contact these
organizations to obtain further information and report back to the
net, I would be grateful.  

However, even without hard numbers, common sense would indicate that
a driver who is alive, uninjured, and seated in front of the steering
wheel can maintain better control of his car after it has been struck
than a driver who is dead, unconscious, on the right side of the car,
or plunging through the windshield.  Serious injuries and fatalities
can occur at speeds of as low as 12 mph.  It is easy to imagine
accidents in intersections or on freeways, for example, in which an
unbelted driver would lose control of his vehicle and hit a
pedestrian or another car, particularly if the driver is not very
resilient physically, as in the case of many elderly people.  (Lord
knows there are enough drivers on the road who need all the help they
can get just to stay between the white lines.)

At any given moment, only about 1 out of 7 American motorists has
his/her belt fastened, a remarkable statistic in light of the wide
publicity given to the effectiveness of seat belts.  I would be very
interested to know, from those reading this who do not ordinarily use
their belts, how you account for the fact that you do not.  Is it
simply a matter of habit?  Do you believe that belts increase your
risk?  Do you believe the protection is not worth the trouble, like
wearing a helmet to protect yourself from meteorites?  Do you simply
forget?  Do you support mandatory belt-use laws?  You can mail me a
response if you prefer.

Finally, someone suggested that cops would feel embarrassed about
writing out tickets for non-use of belts.  Let me suggest that you
ask a cop or state patrolman whether he prefers writing the tickets
or scraping someone off the pavement and then telling the nearest
relatives that the victim is now dead or a vegetable.

Richard Carnes, ihnp4!gargoyle!carnes