On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 18:21:44 -0500, Jon N. Benignus <blkwidow1@primary.net>
wrote:
>
> on 6/7/04 8:12 AM, M Smith at gtv684@hotmail.com wrote:
>
>> "Runge told ABCNEWS that, "the thing that we can do right now, tonight,
>> right now, to shave $26 billion off this total is to make sure that
>> everyone
>> buckles his or her seatbelt. It's very simple.""
> It's not that simple. Impossible to prove that figure would be made a
> zero
> if people wore belts. There could, and probably will be injuries, not
> counting injuries FROM THE BELTS..
> Yes, I said the belts. Mind you, I always wear them, but they CAN and DO
> cause injuries. Those belts are pretty narrow. The local Sheriff's Dep't.
> has a "seat belt convincer", which is a bucket seat mounted on wheels on
> an
> incline with stops at the bottom. Sit down, strap in, and when they
> release
> the seat, you even brace for the sudden stop, but it still surprises you.
> It's supposed to replicate a 30mph impact. Dang, do those belts hurt.
> A friend drives dirt late model stck cars. FIVE point harnesses. The
> belts
> are twice as wide as what you find in your car or truck. he says they do
> their job, but you will have bruises to show for it.
> Same thing for m/c helmets. Yes, they do save lives and can and do help
> prevent head injuries, but there is NO WAY to prove the helmet WILL
> prevent
> the injury. To prove it, one would have to duplicate the crash with the
> helmet on and then be evaluated. One must KNOW the injuries from BOTH
> circumstances to say definitely one way or the other. To say
> belts/helmets
> will save X dollars/injuries is pure conjecture.
> Funny, the gov't prosecutes there so called "psychics", yet hire people
> to
> predict something that hasn't happened.
> Go figure.
>
First I agree that seat belts do cause injuries. And no one does studies on
how often the belts cause a person to be more injured in an impact. Not
just from the belts injuring the person, but from holding you in the same
place when in certain types of crashes, being tossed to the other side of
the car will save you. Second, in regards to not being able to prove
helmets protect you, you're wrong. They know what kind of forces it takes
to cause injury to the head and brain. Not hard to measure in a test lab.
-- -Droo
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