"Dave Hinz" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 25 Jun 2004 17:20:48 +0000 (UTC),
wrote:

If everyone in a passenger car was belted in and wearing a helmet,
there would be no need for airbags in them either.

Well, no. I've seen plenty of steering wheels bent by the chests
of people who were fully seatbelted; an airbag would have been
softer. One guy had the imprint of the chevy bowtie bruised into
his chest, along with the seatbelt bruises. Also, side impact
and/or curtain airbags protect against directional forces that
the seatbelts just can't (unless we went to 5-point, which will
never happen).

I think the OP meant that if everyone was belted in with a 5 point harness
and a helmet there would be no need for an airbag. Not very fashionable so
I don't expect the wimmin to be jumping on board with that idea. The
devices they pass off as seatbelts/shoulder harnesses in private vehicles
fall really short of what they should provide in terms of safety. Somewhere
between a 5 point harness and the typical passenger car restraint system
lies a much better idea. But then again, we'd have to deal with all those
other issues like seats that offer no rigidity, doors that cave in to the
center of the car, etc., etc., etc.


It's a system, to be used one with the other, not one instead of
the other. Both together are drastically better than either alone.


Yup - for the passenger car, that's very true.
--

-Mike-