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Date:         Thu, 17 Sep 1998 19:02:33 -0500
Reply-To:     ray.wei@US.PWCGLOBAL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Yi-Ruey Wei <ray.wei@US.PWCGLOBAL.COM>
Subject:      DRLs and Air Bags
Comments: To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Please see Don Gibbons 's post "Safety and cost". I've been in Canada last year and saw that NOT every car has the DRLs. That means the car with DRLs will stand out and more easier to see. The statistics will favor the DRLs right now. Wait until ALL cars have DRLs and then check the statistics. The 3rd break light has the same situation. The statistics on rear end collision went down a while since the mandate of 3rd break light after 1986. But it starts to go up recently because people GET USED TO the 3rd break light. Then again, if you feel like you want DRLs, why don't you just turn the lights on? Why mandate it? (Poor motorcyclist!) Actually, pro-DRL drivers should against the mandate, then they can stand out with their lights on! Air bag is a very expensive and dangerous device. I just can't understand why people want a device which could explode at anytime and may kill or injure people. The design standard in the US is for 160lb male adult WITHOUT seat belt on. That's why the 200mph explosion kills smaller-sized adults and children. I doubt if you have the seat belt on, how much more protection the air bag can provide. Not to mention that the cost involved to get that much more protection. And then when the car is getting old, car owner may not willing to spend big money to fix or maintain the air bags which then become more dangerous. Have you ever think about where your hands supposed to put on the steering wheel (with air bag) lately? You had better not cross over your steering wheel while you are driving or backing up. If you do, and if the air bag explode, it will break your arm. Just try to back your car with both hands at "3-9" position on the steering wheel as suggested in the owners manual from the cars with air bags. Most people got killed and injured by the air bag in the States are in a slow moving vehicle or in the parking lot. Sadly to say that famous air bag killing to a child at Idaho was happened on a VW in a mall parking lot. The "smart" air bag is a much better device but there is a long way to go and is a lot more complicated and expensive, which means hard to be properly maintained when it is getting old.

Regards, Yi-Ruey Wei 87 Vanagon GL Syncro w/78K miles 85 Jetta GLI w/165K miles Dallas, Texas ---------------------------------------------------------------- The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer.


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