Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84 exptools; site ihlpg.UUCP
Path: utzoo!lsuc!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!ihlpg!tan
From: tan@ihlpg.UUCP (Bill Tanenbaum)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Orphaned Response
Message-ID: <1526@ihlpg.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 6-Jan-86 19:18:04 EST
Article-I.D.: ihlpg.1526
Posted: Mon Jan  6 19:18:04 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 7-Jan-86 20:58:24 EST
References: <294@frog.UUCP> <7800874@inmet.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 30

> >The New York seat belt law is estimated to have saved over 170 lives
> >already.  Does this count?
----
> Of course!  On the other hand, it's annoyed a lot of other people, and
> cost them money.  Does that count?
> 
> Before you react with: "But even ONE human life is worth an awful lot
> of annoyance", consider this:
> 
> Lowering the speed limit to 15 mph would save MORE lives.
> 
> In other words, there is clearly a trade off between convenience and
> risk -- and they must be balanced against each other.
> 
> I'm told that highway designers routinely assign a money value to human 
> life so that they may design highways that are not infinitely safe.  Does
> anyone happen to know what this value is?
-----
I don't know what value highway designers use, but the monetary value of human
life in the U. S. is in the range of hundreds of thousands of dollars per life-
more than $100k but less than a million.  This is typically how much
our society is willing to spend in taxes or government mandated expenses
to save lives.
	The financial cost of compulsory seat-belt laws is trivial
compared to the lives saved.  Actually, seat belt laws, by reducing costly
injuries, save society a bundle.  Anyone who argues against seat belt
laws on economic grounds is either ignorant or dishonest.  The personal
liberty issue is the only valid one the opponents of such laws have.
-- 
Bill Tanenbaum - AT&T Bell Labs - Naperville IL  ihnp4!ihlpg!tan