Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site decvax.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!genrad!decvax!minow
From: minow@decvax.UUCP (Martin Minow)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.legal
Subject: Seat Belts and the cost of auto fatalities
Message-ID: <95@decvax.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 27-Jul-85 22:18:38 EDT
Article-I.D.: decvax.95
Posted: Sat Jul 27 22:18:38 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 31-Jul-85 02:21:20 EDT
References: <316@baylor.UUCP> <783@burl.UUCP> <9389@ucbvax.ARPA>
Reply-To: minow@decvax.UUCP (Martin minow)
Organization: DEC - ULTRIX Engineering Group
Lines: 27
Xref: watmath net.politics:10168 net.legal:1927

There was a fairly extensive study done in Sweden in the mid 1970's
on the costs (and causes) of auto fatalities.  It had two parts:
1. an estimate of the total cost to the society as a whole of
   an auto fatality (the cost to the police and hospitals to
   clean up the mess, the cost to the government of not collecting
   in taxes the cost of educating the individual, etc. etc.).
   The average fatality cost about $50,000.  This is paid for
   by everybody in higher taxes.

2. a study of every fatality in a specific model year of Volvos
   in Sweden (I think the year was 1975).  The study was done
   jointly by Volvo, the insurance companies, The National
   Traffic Safety Board, and the people who usually reconstruct
   airplane crashes.  There were 131 fatalities.  129 were not
   wearing seat belts.  (There was also one fire, although
   nobody could figure out why the car caught fire; Volvo moved
   the gas tank the next year.)

As a result of this study, Sweden passed a mandatory seat belt
law.

In addition to protecting you in a crash, a good seat belt will
support you if you have to swerve your car to avoid an accident,
thus preventing accidents as well.

Martin Minow
decvax!minow