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From: canopus@amdahl.UUCP (Frank Dibbell)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: Seat belt Laws
Message-ID: <1410@amdahl.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 16-Apr-85 19:42:16 EST
Article-I.D.: amdahl.1410
Posted: Tue Apr 16 19:42:16 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 19-Apr-85 00:55:07 EST
References: <113@pyuxh.UUCP>
Organization: Amdahl Corp, Sunnyvale CA
Lines: 38

> The state of New Jersey released findings from the first month of
> the new mandatory seat belt law.  No surprise to me that the death
> rate went up significantly.

  Can somebody post the statistics showing that the death rate went up?

> I was in a bad accident in which I was seriously injured and my friend
> (the passenger) was killed.  I was not wearing a seat belt and my friend
> was.  I'm not preaching what to do, but what would you do if you were
> me.  I survived because I was not pinned in the car and my friend was.

  I don't know all the details of this particular tragedy.  It is quite
  possible that your friend would have been killed whether s/he had a
  belt on or not.  It is also possible that your own injuries may have
  been less had you been wearing a belt.  Like I said, I don't know all
  the particulars.

  I do know that (statistically) in 2% of accidents the occupant/driver
  would have been better off not wearing a belt.  Perhaps your unfortunate
  accident was one of those.  However, for each case like yours one can
  find 49 others where the driver/passenger who didn't wear a belt *might*
  be alive or avoided serious injury had they worn the belt.

  While I am not normally a betting person, I find myself compelled to
  go with the odds, so I wear a seatbelt.

> Please, no nasty-grams in my mbox, I have made up my mind.  If you don't
> agree, that is your choice.
> 				John McKeel

  You think begging is going to save you from nasty grams? [(-:]  Since
  you have made up your mind, I guess I won't confuse you with any more
  facts.

  Drive Carefully
-- 
Frank Dibbell     (408-746-6493)                 {whatever}!amdahl!canopus
[R.A. 6h 22m 30s  Dec. -52d 36m]                 [Generic disclaimer.....]