Date:         Thu, 19 Nov 1998 09:34:49 -0800
Reply-To:     YauMan Chan <YauMan@CCHEM.BERKELEY.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         YauMan Chan <YauMan@CCHEM.BERKELEY.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Passive restraining systems.
Comments: To: vw4x4@FYI.NET, vanagon@VANAGON.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

Ok.. Air Bags DO NOT qualifies as passive restraint.. they are SUPPLEMENTARY restrains. So the 3-point seat belt is required.

Now, I sort of agree with you on the government thing.. I belief in the darwinian theory.. ie. if we are high up enough on the evolutionary ladder, we must have done the right thing to survive..and the people do don't wear their seat belts without some government agency poking them in the butt to do so should hopefully not live long enough to procreate!!!!

Having said that, however, reality being what it is, many non-seat belt users do not just died in an accident.... they end up with spinal and brain injuries etc and the "state", ie you and I as tax payers, end up spending million$ to keep them alive and sustaining their "quality" of life because they have the right.  Now, if any driver or passenger do not want to wear seat belts they should be allowed to sign a binding contract that says that if they are injured, they WILL NOT take any of your or my money to help with rehabilitation.. (this include my share of insurance premium going to this purpose.)  ..If there is such a contract with the driving bureaus, I say the gov't should drop all seat belt laws!!!

btw,  currently every state except New Hampshire ('live free or die!") has mandatory seat belt law.  Nation wide, the compliance is at something like 60% with Calif leading at 90%, Maryland at 83% and even wild and wooly Nevada at 76%.  At the bottom is New Hampshire - live free or die state with seat belt usage at 27%... It just goes to show that we do not always do the right thing unless someone pokes us in the butt!!!

End of Sermon..

Yau-Man Chan
87 GL

>>> EMZ <vw4x4@FYI.NET> 11/19 4:44 AM >>>
  WHat the F$%^&#$%!! is wrong with our goverment! All this
crap on new cars, and we still need to put on our seat belts.
Passive restrains (air bags) have failed!
It's really obvious that Air bags do little once passengers
where there seat belts, yet they are still mandated.

We don't need to get rid of air bags ...,, we need
to get rid of the government!

>>