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Author
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Topic: Buckle Up?
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Randall
Webmaster Posts: 25287
From: Columbus, GA USA
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted May 27, 2004 10:01 PM
 
Would someone big on statistics help me understand this one? Pid? They say about half of the people killed in car accidents were not wearing their seat belts. They use that as a pro-seat belt argument. But, unless I am analyzing this wrongly, that also mean half who died WERE wearing their seat belts. Couldn't I equally say that seat belts kill?  ------------------
"Never mentally imagine for another that which you would not want to experience for yourself, since the mental image you send out inevitably comes back to you." Rebecca Clark IP: Logged |
Nackie
Knowflake Posts: 561
From: Germany
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted May 28, 2004 05:48 AM
Hello Randall,I have heard this statistic, too, but slightly different: half of all people who died without wearing their seatbelt would probably not have died. Seatbelts aren't gonna save you if you get sidewinded by a huge truck, but it will save those who would have otherwise died flying out the windshield (for example) HTH
Nackie IP: Logged |
purplezen
Knowflake Posts: 888
From: outer space
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted May 28, 2004 05:42 PM
Hey Randall, a few years ago my grandmother was in a car accident...the fact that she was NOT wearing her seat belt saved her life and allowed her to get out of the mostly-crushed car.  I'm not advocating that people stop wearing seatbelts or anything, but when my time here on earth is done, if I am meant to die, a seatbelt is not going to do diddly squat. Just my 2 cents  IP: Logged |
pixelpixie
Knowflake Posts: 5301
From: Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 2005
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posted May 28, 2004 05:55 PM
My take on this issue is a safety one but one that comes from my head. In most circumstances of bad car accidents, They are from travelling at high speeds. Anything not buckled down, becomes a projectile.
Human beings are not physiologically meant to be propelled through the air in machinery. We are smart and have adapted to our 'limitations'. Having no shell/ectoskeleton to protect our soft, fleshy bodies from outside forces, we still choose to travel at high speeds to get places. Sometimes, when traveliing quickly, another fast moving thing ( or even static thing) will get in our way, and then ba-boom, impact and physics become apparent... as does the fact that we are made of flesh and bone.
I choose to buckle up, even for a short trip. If my children choose not to, we choose not to move the car until they do. Everything is a chance, whether we are safer one way or the other, I feel safer with it on. It just makes sense to me.IP: Logged |
BloodRedMoon
Knowflake Posts: 932
From: somewhere out there
Registered: Apr 2004
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posted May 28, 2004 07:32 PM
I always buckle. I was in a car accident back in 1994. We flipped over on a highway. I would have easily gone through the window if I wasn't wearing a belt. My boyfriend at the time was driving and didn't wear a belt.Although he didn't go through the windsheild the top of his head DID leave a big dent in it. The steering wheel in his face kept him from going all the way through. His teeth went through his lips and he broke his arm and fingers in a few places. I left with a couple scratches and some neck pain. As far as statistics go... I'm not sure of the exact ones for seatbelt safety. I'm sure there are some cases where a seatbelt would prevent you from escaping or something but I'd say that the chances of a seatbelt saving your life are FAR FAR greater than harming it.
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you gave me strength, you pushed the blades away from me...oh how we dreamt to change the world... and we would never give in, no matter what they say... a really cool connection in a cruel world... IP: Logged |
pidaua
Knowflake Posts: 7314
From: Schweinfurt to Grafenwoehr all within 6 months LOL
Registered: May 2002
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posted May 28, 2004 07:43 PM
Yes, Randall - you're right. Sometimes it is all in the way we report the statistics.I worked at one ER vet hospital that made it a practice to play on people's emotions in order to motivate them to spends thousands on the care of an animal that had a very low quality of life. The proper thing would be to recommend euthanasia and report the proper statistics. What they would say is: "If you give fifi a kidney transplant, she has a TWENTY PERCENT (emphasize the percentage) of living a great life". 20%??? 
What about the EIGHTY percent chance that she will have a terrible life and die?
I will have to look up the stats, but there is also a case made by some that the law was put into effect because car companies were being sued. You know, as though it is Fords fault a person gets into an accident. Out here there was one case where someone ran into a brick wall going 60 MPH and the impact made the seats fall backwards which lead to death. The family sued for faulty seats...as though anyone would survive a 60 MPH impact into a brick wall (the car didn't have air-bags - it was an older model) I'll see what I can find though IP: Logged |
Nephthys
Moderator Posts: 3800
From: California
Registered: Oct 2001
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posted May 28, 2004 10:13 PM
Isn't it a law in all of your states to wear them? It's a law in my state. IP: Logged |
BloodRedMoon
Knowflake Posts: 932
From: somewhere out there
Registered: Apr 2004
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posted May 29, 2004 12:05 AM
It is the law here in California.Although they are trying to pass a law now that would prohibit cellphone use (which I agree with unless you have a handsfree set!) AND "interacting with passengers", eating, turning your radio up and down, etc. IP: Logged |
trillian
Knowflake Posts: 4050
From: The Boundless
Registered: Mar 2003
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posted May 29, 2004 07:55 AM
Pid is right. Statistics are grossly manipulated in all things, including this.I too have known people to escape accidents they otherwise couldn't, because they weren't wearing seat belts. However...I have also talked to ER nurses who claim most traffic accident victims fare far worse w/o the belts. So...I use 'em.
The whole Pixie projectile thing, ya know... I'd like to have one of those cool little doo-hickeys I've seen advertised in a few catalogs, that are generally sold to people traveling the Autobahn at high rates of speed. It looks a little like a wrench, sorta, and it can smash a window and cut a seatbelt if you are trapped. Nackie, do you know what I mean? I love you all. Drive safely.  IP: Logged |
pixelpixie
Knowflake Posts: 5301
From: Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 2005
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posted May 29, 2004 02:10 PM
Trillian~ I have a doo-hickey, I keep it under my seat.IP: Logged |
Nephthys
Moderator Posts: 3800
From: California
Registered: Oct 2001
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posted May 29, 2004 08:27 PM
So many people talk and drive (cellphone) and it drives me nuts  (no pun intended)......anyhow, if I use my cell while driving, I use the ear piece so I am hands free. I always keep my earpiece attachment in my purse so I always have it. Who are people talking to all the time that they can't wait until they get home or to their destination? IP: Logged |
Lindaland
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