Here in my state about 6 or 7 years back we had a Helmet law where if you where driving a Bike you had to wear a helmet. Well the Bikers all whined and then took it too the state congress and had it throwen out as a freedom of choice. Now my thing is we have had Seat Belts laws forever. Does this not fall under the same thing as the Helmet law? A freedom of choice? They have recently made it where cops can pull you over if they think you are not wearing a seat belt and give you a bigger ticket then even speeding. I have not gotten a ticket yet. I mean sometimes I do wear my belt but sometimes I forget or I'm making a quick run and just ignore it. Some of you who are more schooled on how these things work where do I start making noise to get it where its a choice.
Ok, here goes. Your freedom of choice ends right where my freedom from being burdened by your choices begins. Let me explain - If you we the only one affected by your choice to wear a seat belt or not, then it would be a violation of your freedom to impose a seat belt rule on you. The fact is, if you are wearing a seat belt it greatly improves the odds that - 1. You will survive an accident with fewer and less severe injuries. 2. In the event of a collision it greatly improves the odds that you will remain conscious, seated, and able to control the vehicle. Why does that matter you ask? If you are injured permanently in an accident, who do you think supports you for the rest of your quadraplegic life? If you are ejected from your car, what stops it from plowing across 6 lanes of traffic and killing a bus load of kids? Other people could be affected and burdened by your choice not to wear seat belts. That is why it is not wrong to impose a law on you. It protects others. It is not all about you Dan. Sorry, I mean it is not all about you Grim. Laws are made to protect people from harm. Get with the program and buckle up. 'nuff said. Barry
Thats not my point Berry, By the state saying that Helmet Laws went agaist Bikers freedom of Choice. They in fact opened a pandora's Box if you will for the seat belt law. I do try and wear my seat belt.
I think I saw this after school special. You're preaching to the choir Barry, well, Grim being the exception. I've witnessed one accident in which the woman was wearing her seatbelt, consequencially she died because the steering wheel was crushed into the drivers seat. Her passenger, who was not wearing a seatbelt was ejected and survived. But that was only one case, as compared to thousands who are saved by wearing one. Maybe she just had extremely bad karma.
Chances are it will save you, but keep in mind that it might also not. I know a few cases personally. One of my friends hydroplaned at 110mph one night on the highway. He did a 360 then a 180 and veared off the road like that hit a pole with the trunk and the car jumped up and smushed the roof. He however was flung in the back and the crushed part of the roof had hit above the driver. Another friend of mine hit a tracktor trailer at 120 mph in a miata. The car was crushed almost instantly but since he was ejected and cuz his ass looked like superman for a couple seconds his life was spared. Another friend of mine was taking a corner at 120mph and the car went sideways and hit a guard rail in the back half of the car and ripped it off clean. Showhow my friend woke up in the back seat looking at the front of his car about 10 ft away and he didnt have a scratch on him. His passenger actually lost his teeth on the dash. You never know what will happen its up to circumstance and if its your time to go. My state has a seat belt law and they were being "strict" about it for a while there but when i got pulled over they didnt even care, they just mentioned it.
Why does it not suprise me that you have friends that drive like idiots? In their cases, perhaps just driving the speed limit would suffice in theirs and others survival - seatbelts seem a moot point. It's fuckers that drive like that way, that make it necessary that I wear one.
not buckling up is stupid..but I figure that it just helps the gene pool out, so shouldn't be a law. As far as the medical expenses go..people do extreme sports and we pay the price for them..people smoke and drink and have unhealthy lifestyles. We end up paying the medical price for that. So seatbelts? I think that for minors they should be law..not necessarily adults tho, but that's just me. California has a helmet law for minors, or did right before I moved..thought it was the stupidest thing, but what the hey..if a parent can afford to get their kid a bike should be able to afford to get their kid a helmet, and lord knows when it first came and and to the best of my knowledge still to this day they have programs where poor kids can get free helmets, just like poor parents can get free car seats. I've been at the scene and had to give first aid at no less than eight accidents in my life. WITHOUT EXCEPTION, the ones where people were NOT wearing seatbelts were messier, nastier, bloodier, and more deadly.
