Re: Flawed seatbelt ad.

Mr X wrote:
"Blah" <blah@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:6nvpihF1551gU1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mr X wrote:
"Tim Woodall" <devnull@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:slrnghl94j.d7t.devnull@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Tue, 11 Nov 2008 23:50:37 +0000,
Edster <me@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
What are you saying. That seat belts and air bags shouldn't be used?
People would drive a lot differently if they weren't there. If instead
of all these seat belts, airbags, side impact whatevers, there was
just a dashboard with metal spikes sticking out of it there would be a
lot less deaths on the road.
I disagree, there would be the same amount of death on the roads, it
would just be a different group of people killed.

It's hard to separate the seatbelt law changes from the dring driving
law changes back in the 80s (the government conveniently arranged for
them both to happen at the same time).

However, it appears that seatbelts probably had little overall effect
on deaths but there was an increase in cyclist and pedestrian (and
motorcycle IIRC) deaths when the seatbelt law came in.

I don't see how there could be a relationship. Unless car companies made their cars safer for occupants but more unsafe for cyclists at the same time.
What he's saying is that car drivers felt invincible with seatbelts, drove like dickheads and hit more cyclists...
I doubt that was the case. Was there an increase in car-on-car accidents at the same time?

This seems to think so:
http://john-adams.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/Seat%20belts%20for%20significance.pdf

pdf sorry

"Article accepted for publication in the March 2007 issue of
Significance, a journal of the Royal Statistical Society."

(From Conclusion)
"The evidence from Britain, which has been singled out as the only`jurisdiction in the world in which it is possible to
measure fatality changes directly attributable a seat belt law, suggests that the law produced no net saving of lives, but redistributed the burden of risk from those who were already the best protected inside vehicles to those who were the most vulnerable outside vehicles."


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Flawed seatbelt ad.
    ... of all these seat belts, airbags, side impact whatevers, there was ... lot less deaths on the road. ... It's hard to separate the seatbelt law changes from the dring driving ...
    (uk.legal)
  • Re: "Law & order" advisory gaff?
    ... "Law & Order" at least has technical, legal advisors, and gets ... chevy ain't got any seat belts. ... I couldn't follow the law because my car doesn't even ... "Man Charged w Conspiracy and Federal Hate Crime - Had Noose Hanging ...
    (misc.legal)
  • Re: Law and number of passengers allowed
    ... that passengers must be properly seated. ... It's *you* who thinks there is such a law. ... according to The Motor Vehicles (Wearing of Seat Belts) Regulations ... What about exceeding the designed seating capacity of the vehicle? ...
    (uk.rec.driving)
  • Re: Law and number of passengers allowed
    ... that passengers must be properly seated. ... It's *you* who thinks there is such a law. ... according to The Motor Vehicles (Wearing of Seat Belts) Regulations ...
    (uk.rec.driving)
  • Re: Dirtbike safety inspections
    ... riding on motorcycles for any reason because riding on motorcycles is even ... The point was not about whether seat belts are safe, ... The point was about the consistency in the law. ...
    (rec.motorcycles.dirt)