From: Matthew T. Russotto on
In article <5sc0a3tdef1psjg8q1vhf6399rh44me1v1(a)4ax.com>,
Scott en Aztl�n <newsgroup> wrote:
>>
>>Yes, they are.
>
>I probably wouldn't mind if people refused to wear seat belts. Like
>motorcycle helmets, not wearing them tends to be a self-curing
>problem. However, the costs associated with your "rescue" and medical
>care are borne by the rest of us who DO take proper precautions, and I
>find that very objectionable.

Then object to those imposing the costs. Once such costs become a
valid reason for restricting activities, there is no limit on what can
be restricted.
--
There's no such thing as a free lunch, but certain accounting practices can
result in a fully-depreciated one.
From: Peter Lawrence on
Matthew T. Russotto wrote:
> In article <5sc0a3tdef1psjg8q1vhf6399rh44me1v1(a)4ax.com>,
> Scott en Aztl�n <newsgroup> wrote:
>>> Yes, they are.
>> I probably wouldn't mind if people refused to wear seat belts. Like
>> motorcycle helmets, not wearing them tends to be a self-curing
>> problem. However, the costs associated with your "rescue" and medical
>> care are borne by the rest of us who DO take proper precautions, and I
>> find that very objectionable.
>
> Then object to those imposing the costs. Once such costs become a
> valid reason for restricting activities, there is no limit on what can
> be restricted.

It's not just the costs, but the great inconvenience unbelted drivers
cause the general driving public every time they are thrown from their
vehicles and die.

Law enforcement officials take a FAR longer time (because they have to
gather up a lot more evidence) to clear an accident scene when a
fatality is involved. Multiple lanes of freeways can be closed down for
hours while law enforcement officers take photographs, make
measurements, and gather up the forensic evidence. A lot of those
fatalities could be avoided if more people wore their seat belts. In an
ironic way, it's the ultimate and final MFFY!

- Peter
From: Daniel W. Rouse Jr. on
"Matthew T. Russotto" <russotto(a)grace.speakeasy.net> wrote in message
news:mMSdnay82-YJtz3bnZ2dnUVZ_vihnZ2d(a)speakeasy.net...
> In article <rzRni.23422$Rw1.19534(a)newssvr25.news.prodigy.net>,
> Peter Lawrence <hummbaby(a)aol.com> wrote:
> >
> >I really never understood why many people prefer driving without using
> >their seat belt. Modern car seat belts are not uncomfortable to use
>
> Yes, they are.

Actually, they aren't that comfortable but... many vehicles do have a
seatbelt height adjustment to adjust the shoulder belt over the shoulder
instead of touching the side of the neck, and a relatively inexpensive
seatbelt shoulder pad makes the shoulder belt more comfortable over the
shoulder when driving for longer than 30 minutes.

That said, I always find that the lapbelt part of the shoulder/lap seatbelt
combination feels as if it should retract just a bit tighter.

Still, I always use my seatbelt when driving, since the airbags are intended
as supplemental restraints, and the seatbelts are the primary restraint.


From: Peter Lawrence on
Daniel W. Rouse Jr. wrote:
> "Matthew T. Russotto" <russotto(a)grace.speakeasy.net> wrote in message
> news:mMSdnay82-YJtz3bnZ2dnUVZ_vihnZ2d(a)speakeasy.net...
>> In article <rzRni.23422$Rw1.19534(a)newssvr25.news.prodigy.net>,
>> Peter Lawrence <hummbaby(a)aol.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> I really never understood why many people prefer driving without using
>>> their seat belt. Modern car seat belts are not uncomfortable to use
>>
>> Yes, they are.
>
> Actually, they aren't that comfortable but... many vehicles do have a
> seatbelt height adjustment to adjust the shoulder belt over the shoulder
> instead of touching the side of the neck, and a relatively inexpensive
> seatbelt shoulder pad makes the shoulder belt more comfortable over the
> shoulder when driving for longer than 30 minutes.

I didn't mean to imply that seat belts are comfortable, but that modern
ones (when probably adjusted) shouldn't cause anyone a great deal of
discomfort. When probably adjusted, the seat and shoulder belt should
keep you relatively snug against your seat without causing any sort of
pain or discomfort. And the benefits of using them should be obvious to
any intelligent driver.

Maybe it's because I remember how uncomfortable the original seat and
shoulder belts of the '60's and '70's could be, that I appreciate the
relative comfort of the modern ones. It shouldn't be a big deal to use
them for most people.

- Peter
From: Harry K on
On Jul 19, 9:19 pm, The Real Bev <bashley101+use...(a)gmail.com> wrote:
> Scott en Aztlán wrote:
> > russo...(a)grace.speakeasy.net (Matthew T. Russotto) said in ca.driving:
>
> >>>I really never understood why many people prefer driving without using
> >>>their seat belt. Modern car seat belts are not uncomfortable to use
>
> >>Yes, they are.
>
> > I probably wouldn't mind if people refused to wear seat belts. Like
> > motorcycle helmets, not wearing them tends to be a self-curing
> > problem. However, the costs associated with your "rescue" and medical
> > care are borne by the rest of us who DO take proper precautions, and I
> > find that very objectionable.
>
> > If you refuse to wear a seat belt, you should also lose all rights to
> > publicly-funded emergency services and/or publicly-funded medical
> > care. As long as it doesn't increase my costs, feel free to give
> > Darwin a helping hand.
>
> How about wearing a helmet while driving a car, then? Apparently the
> statistics for head injuries are pretty similar for car and motorcycle drivers.
>
> --
> Cheers, Bev
> xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> "Faster, faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death."
> -- Hunter S. Thompson- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

And I suppose you have a cite for that?

Harry K