Re: Euro bags

[James Marriott <marriott@lesbois.com>]

Haudi,

Gary Bracken wrote:
> 
> All auto manufacturers urge vehicle occupants to buckle up, and all refer to air
> bags as supplemental restraint systems.  Therefore, It's rather hard for me to
> work up a lot of sympathy for those who are killed or injured by airbags
> because they failed (chose not) to buckle up.

Agreed, though laws aren't the way to go, IMO. Economics is. That is,
make vehicle insurance match the risk (sore subject of mine and Dan
M's:  _not_ tickets) like life- and health insurance. Do you smoke and
are you 85? Your LI costs a little more than a lap-swimming
25-year-old's. Do you _choose_ (as is your perfect right, IMO) not to
wear a belt? Then your premium will increase by the corresponding
amount. A few years ago (~3) I wrote a paper on this very subject. I
remember average _medical_ bills per person/collision were ~$1500 for
non-belted, ~$500 for belted. Reflect this in premiums and I'll shut up.
BTW, this _can_ be enforced. It's called insurance fraud, and it's
illegal. ie, don't pay the belted premuim and go naked . . .

> Finally, I am unaware of any research indicating that adults who are properly
> belted in sustain significant injuries in crashes due to airbags.  If such
> research exists, perhaps someone can inform all of us about it.  If it doesn't
> exist, why all the desire (by some on this list) to render airbags inoperable?

AFAIK, of the ~30 _adults_ who've been killed in the US by front-seat
bags, only TWO were in position and properly held by the _primary_
restraint. BTW, the police in Boise have determined that last December's
decapitation of a one-year-old was caused by the _rear-facing seat_ not
being belted at all. Mom may be charged . . .

Also, I think the spec is for an unbelted 180 lb male surviving (why?) a
30 mph pure-frontal collision.

cu
James