Re: Why should I "HAVE" to wear a seatbelt?

From: Barry (barrysuperhawk@insightbb.com)
Date: Tue Jun 08 2004 - 00:52:50 EDT


droo wrote:

>
> 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.
>
>

Er, The AMA tried to do a study a few years back about helmets, they
started finding out that, while death due to head trauma decreased,
neck/spinal injuries increased. I personally believe that very few people
have developed their neck muscles enough to compensate for the extra 3-5
pounds of helmet. Low speed, there's little question that helmets help,
above 20 mph, on the street, I think it's a toss up. In either case, you
cannot legislate common sense, no matter how hard you try, Darwin always
wins...

-- 
          -Barry

"Life is a tragedy for those who feel and a comedy for those who think" -fortune cookie

DML: http://www.twistedbits.net/WWWProfile/dakota/Rb@6EE4xQAF2k/ Superhawk: http://barrysuperhawk.home.insightbb.com



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