Why You Should Buckle Up

[merlot4]

Re: Why You Should Buckle Up

This was meant to be full-blown irony, not an inditement of trying to save lives.

Understood, that's the problem with messages like this, it's easy to misread them. No disrespect meant with my post.

[Chuck]

Re: Why You Should Buckle Up

This is like politics & religion, wait it is politics. Helmets and seatbelts are another little piece of our freedom that our government has taken from us. Why? The insurance company lobbyists. When the seatbelt law was passed did your auto insurance go down? Of course not. Did the insurance companies save millions? You betchya. Is wearing your seatbelt and a helmet the right thing to do? I believe it is even though I don't wear a seatbelt. My problem is that it’s another "choice" that's being made for us for political and monetary reasons.

[BITWTB]

Re: Why You Should Buckle Up

Personal freedoms have nothing to do with politics. You don't HAVE to wear a seat belt. You don't HAVE to wear a helmet for motorcycles, bicycles, skateboards, washing dishes, but there are alternative consequences if you choose not to. Despite our wishes, the laws of physics are absolute and incontrovertible.

[5bird7]

Re: Why You Should Buckle Up

Despite our wishes, the laws of physics are absolute and incontrovertible.

Amen!

[Tomas]

Re: Why You Should Buckle Up

Personal freedoms have nothing to do with politics. You don't HAVE to wear a seat belt. You don't HAVE to wear a helmet for .

BS. You do have to to wear the belt or pay fines and its political too if the government requires it.


thats a fact.

[5bird7]

Re: Why You Should Buckle Up

Tomas, I think Wallaby covered that with his statement:

...but there are alternative consequences if you choose not to....

The fact that there is a law, gives you a choice. Either obey or not. It is still a choice a person gets to make... and suffer the consequences if caught up with.

[jerrym3]

Re: Why You Should Buckle Up

Nobody likes the government to intervene unless they need the government to intervene.

What if my neighbor decided to raise cattle (we each have 1/4 acre properties). Or start a car repair shop or hot dog stand? Or expand his house by adding more floors and destroying the neighborhood?

By not letting him do any of these, aren't his freedoms being impinged upon?

We just can't assume that everybody is going to play nice. Some rules/guidelines have to be set to prevent utter chaos. Unfortunately, some of those rules get frivolous, and we start to guard ourselves aginst ourselves.

(I had to get a permit to erect a small 8X10 shed to ensure that it wasn't too close to my neighbor's property.)

As for motorcycle helmets, I hate them. Didn't need them when I had a bike back in the early 60's.

Went down twice without a helmet, but was very lucky. Still have all my senses; well, most of them anyway.

[AZTB]

Re: Why You Should Buckle Up

Tomas, I think Wallaby covered that with his statement:

The fact that there is a law, gives you a choice. Either obey or not. It is still a choice a person gets to make... and suffer the consequences if caught up with.

And then what about the individual who refuses to wear a seat belt, gets in a serious accident, has no health insurance and then John Q Taxpayer is stuck with the medical bill...

[merlot4]

Re: Why You Should Buckle Up

Although this discussion is quite normal for TBN and interesting to hear the different viewpoints, it has strayed far from the original point which is that in this instance and without doubt countless others, seat belts and airbags help prevent more serious injuries and save lives. There will always be the act of fate where one is saved by not following the rules, but these are the exception, not the rule. I have seen the results of not wearing a seat belt and that made a lasting impression; I and my passenger always buckle up.

[BITWTB]

Re: Why You Should Buckle Up

Back to the subject about wearing seat belts:
From the National Safety Council
COSTS OF MOTOR VEHICLE INJURIES

The calculable costs of motor-vehicle crashes are wage and productivity losses, medical expenses, administrative expenses, motor vehicle damage, and employers’ uninsured costs. The costs of all these items for each death (not each fatal crash), injury (not each injury crash), and property damage crash were:
Average Economic Cost per Death, Injury, or Crash, 2010
Death $1,410,000
Nonfatal Disabling Injury $70,200
Property Damage Crash (including nondisabling injuries) $8,900

[bikebird]

Re: Why You Should Buckle Up

Have you ever noticed in the papers, it seems if you are wearing your seatbelt and you have a death or serious injury it is not reported. If it happens that you are not, they are sure to mention it. When Randy Savage (the pro wrestler) from years ago recently died in a car crash, the said he had his seatbelt on but it was because he had a heart attack while driving. only just saying. Besides, you may want to thank all those organ donors.

[MerlotBlue]

Re: Why You Should Buckle Up

I always wear my belt but: I bought a 69 Vette years ago and the guy redid the interior but never put the seat belts back in. He gave me extra parts with the car and the seat belts were in the box. I never installed them. Bad idea!!! When I was 50 years old I was driving the Vette on a back road and lost control that was just oiled and chipped and went into a 90 degree turn. I went head on into a 5' dirt bank. When I woke up about an hour later I looked in my rear view and saw fire trucks and an ambulance. I couldn't move my head. I broke my neck after hitting the roof of the car. I was off work for over 7 month and had a bone fusion done to my neck.

ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT!!!!!!!!!!

..........WOW!!!!

That's about as scary as it gets and anyone who reads the account of your experience and can't find inspiration to "buckle up" probably can't be reached anyway.