On Sat, 20 Sep 2003 11:18:38 +0100, rnet[dot]co[dot]uk
(Simon Gardner) wrote:

In article ,
Andy Hall wrote:

On Sat, 20 Sep 2003 09:12:18 +0100, rnet[dot]co[dot]uk
(Simon Gardner) wrote:

In article ,
"Mary Fisher" wrote:

I am living proof that seat belts are not always safer

I'm living proof that they sometimes are.

Safer for whom? Nobody doubts that they increase the safety of the driver.
In what sense are you the "living proof" that they increase the safety of
anyone else rather than decrease it?


This is all very fine and large, Simon, and I can appreciate your
statistical arguments, but to be honest I don't know that many people,
who when push comes to shove would knowlingly put themselves in a
position of increased danger on the road to the benefit of others.

Well you know one. I'd prefer not to have the accident in the first place.
Not wearing a seat belt reduces the risk of my being involved in an
accident.


OK, I see what you are saying. Accepting what Prof. Adams says (no
reason not to); the implication is that you feel that you are less
likely to be involved in an accident because you feel that not wearing
a seatbelt will make you more likely to be careful as I understand
what you are saying. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Therefore from the fatalities and accidents point of view, you can
perhaps argue that because you are being safer, you stand less chance
of being involved in an accident with the more vulnerable pedestrian.
Even if they cause an accident by being drunk, stupid or not paying
attention they would appear to be less likely to be as harmed because
you had been driving carefully? OK, fair enough.

However, if you then consider other car users who are wearing seat
belts, and the argument runs that they are being less careful as a
result, it seems to me that in that scenario, your not wearing a
seatbelt reduces the risk of you having an accident caused by you, but
not one caused by everybody else. I'm not sure of the applicable
statistics here, but although you have reduced the risk on your side,
overall for you it is not reduced that much because of everybody
else's stupidity. Let's say hypothetically that the penalty for not
wearing a seatbelt was unacceptable to you (doesn't matter what the
penalty would need to be) and as a result you did wear a seatbelt; I
am not sure that the situation would have changed since you with your
view regarding pedestrian vulnerability yu would drive carefully
anyway.

On the subject of penalties, presumably at some point you will be
stopped and prosecuted. I don't know what the penalty is off hand
(money plus points presumably). Would you just pay up or do you feel
that you would contest the issue?



..andy

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