carlson@ssc-vax.UUCP (07/01/83)
Mr. Wright, do you HONESTLY think that auto or medical or any other kind of insurance rates will go down once airbags (God for- bid) are installed? It didn't happen after all the hoopla over 2.5-5 mph bumpers were installed. Collision insurance rates went up after the State Farms, and Farmers, and AAA's found out that it cost $200+ to replaces all those shock absorbers and re-bar that constitutes those bumpers. As for the "honor system", lower rates for seat belt users, it works for "non-smoker" policies at Farmers. Farmers gives a 25% discount to non-smokers. I am convinced that the lap/shoulder harness that is installed in my X-11 is going to protect me in a more effective manner over a wider range of accident situations than some bag blowing up in my face. The "drunk crossing the centerline with a closing speed of 110mph" type of accident is the only type where an airbag has an undeniable advantage. My lap/shoulder belt may induce a level of injury beyond that which the airbag would. But at that extreme case, invasion of the passenger compartment by the engine and sheet metal will be of greater consequence to injury than my acceleration into the belts. I believe that there are more cost effective methods for dealing with this type of accident than to turn automobiles into exploding padded cells with wheels. Happy Driving, and buckle up! Its cheaper than a bag! Lee R. Carlson - Boeing Aerospace - Seattle - ...fluke!ssc-vax!carlson
mat@hou5e.UUCP (07/03/83)
I heartily agree that we should ALL wear seatbelts. Full three-point jobs. I always wear mine -- I have had a couple of nasty moments taking evasive action when I was damned glad to have the belts. Maybe if I were a better driver I would have anticipated the situation, but I didn't. I did make it out -- or stop short -- while maintaining some control of the car. Without the three-point harness, that would read NO control. Perhaps when people get their licenses renewed, they should be required to watch films showing what happens when you don't wear the belts. As to airbags -- I don't want them. I don't know if all the bad things that are said are true, but I don't want the to pay for them, I don't want my three-point harness taken away, and after the accident which I should expect to happen sooner or later, I don't want to have to replace the goddam airbags when all they did for me was break my eyeglasses! Perhaps the solution is to put laws in place requiring the insurance companies to not pay for medical bills of any individual who was not properly secured in the vehicle at the time of the accident. Try to get that past your legislator (who probably won't wear his belt if you threaten him with defeat in the next election). Politicians can't be for individual responsibility -- it always costs votes. Waiting for a car with Sidewinders attatched for the bastard who cuts into my lane with less thawn two feet between us, then slows down to match the speed in the next lane. Mark Terribile hou5e!mat Duke of deNet
sample@ubc-visi.UUCP (07/04/83)
Yesterday, while driving down a country road, I was paying more attention to locating a noise in the drive train than to the road, which I thought I was familiar with. I hit a new (very large) bump, and my van flew into the air (all four wheels). If I hadn't been wearing a seat belt, I would have landed in the back of the van, and crashed. As it was, I managed to retain control. Air-bags would have been completely useless in this situation. Rick Sample