Date: Wed, 25 Nov 1998 20:36:47 -0700
Reply-To: Michael Harrnacker <harrnack@IN-TCH.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Michael Harrnacker <harrnack@IN-TCH.COM>
Subject: Re: Vanagon vs Volvo Crash Photos
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>The fact is that medical, legal and administrative costs are
>rising, outweighing any improcvement in vehicle safety.
>Thats why your insurance rates GO UP every year not down.
>Thats why legislation that reduces accidents or the severity of
>accidents will help to keep insurance rates in check.
My rates have gone down two years in a row. The reason? State Farm cut its
rates. (Everything else has remained the same...residence, cars, marriage
status, etc...).
Michael B. Harrnacker
89 Weekender "Nameles"
91 Golf "Miami"
http://ruralinstitute.umt.edu/vwbus
vanagon@rudi.montech.umt.edu
"Never miss a good chance to shut up."
-----Original Message-----
From: David-M <dmcs@CYBURBAN.COM>
To: vanagon@VANAGON.COM <vanagon@VANAGON.COM>
Date: Friday, November 20, 1998 1:19 PM
Subject: Re: Vanagon vs Volvo Crash Photos
>Ari Ollikainen wrote:
>>
>> This message is best viewed in a non-proportional, fixed spacing font.
>>
>> At 9:29 AM 11/20/98, David-M wrote:
>>
>> >Question: Do you like high car insurance rates?
>>
>> Of course not...but given the accident experience of Vanagons our
>> insurance rates should be MUCH lower than, say, those of Volvo
>> owners.
>>
>> >If you dont, then you should be in favour of safety regulation.
>> >The cost of death and injuries in vehicle collisions is astronomical.
>>
>> According to NHTSA, the safety NUTS (excerpted from
>> http://www.healthandsafety.org/cars.html#LARGE)
>> <quote>
>> CONCLUSION
>>
>> In conclusion, traffic safety has seen significant progress
during
>> the past 10 years. If the 1985 fatality rate had remained
unchanged,
>> an additional 18,275 people would have been killed in motor
vehicle
>> crashes in 1995. This safety progress is due to a variety of
factors,
>> such as:
>>
>> =>Increased safety belt and motorcycle helmet use.
>> =>Anti-drunk driving efforts.
>> =>A growing fleet of vehicles with air bags and other safety
>> =>equipment.
>> =>Stringent federal safety regulations.
>> <unquote>
>>
>> But of course NHTSA hasn't really offered any proof of this
assertion
>> and the fatality rates were declining in the decade prior to
1985-
>> 1995, as well.
>>
>> There are some interesting statistics in this particular report,
>> such as:
>>
>> TABLE 1
>>
>> MOTOR VEHICLE CRASH FACT SHEET
>>
>> I.Total Motor Vehicle Crashes 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
>>
>> Number of Fatalities 44,599 41,508 39,252 40,150 40,716 41,798
>> Rate/100million VMT 2.1 1.9 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.7
>> Number injured (x1000) 3,231 3,097 3,070 3,125 3,215 3,386
>>
>> II. Alcohol Involvement
>> Total fatalities 22,084 19,887 17,859 17,473 16,589 17,274
>> % of total fatalities 49.5 47.9 45.5 43.5 40.8 41.3
>> People killed, by
>> highest blood alcohol
>> concentration (BAC) in crash:
>> BAC of .01% to .09% 4,434 3,957 3,625 3,496 3,495 3,710
>> BAC of .10% or higher 17,650 15,930 14,234 13,977 13,094 13,564
>>
>> III. Fatalities by Vehicle Type
>> Passenger Cars
>> Occupant Fatalities 24,092 22,385 21,387 21,566 21,997 22,358
>> Fatality rate/100mill VMT 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.5 N/A N/A
>> Light Trucks and Vans(1)
>> Occupant Fatalities 8,601 8,391 8,098 8,511 8,904 9,539
>> Fatality rate/100mill VMT 1.6 1.4 1.3 1.3 N/A N/A
>> Motorcycles
>> Motorcycle Fatalities 3,244 2,806 2,395 2,449 2,320 2,221
>> Fatality rate/100 mill VMT 33.9 30.6 25.1 24.8 N/A N/A
>> Large Trucks(2)
>> Truck Occupant Fatalities 705 661 585 605 670 644
>> All Fatalities in Large Truck
>> Crashes 5,272 4,821 4,462 4,856 5,119 4,903
>> Pedestrians
>> Pedestrian Fatalities 6,482 5,801 5,549 5,649 5,489 5,585
>> Bicyclists
>> Bicyclist Fatalities 859 843 723 816 802 830
>>
>> (1) Vans, pickup trucks, and utility vehicles with a gross vehicle weight
>> rating of 10,000 pounds or less.
>> (2) 2 Single-unit trucks and truck tractors with a gross vehicle weight
>> rating of more than 10,000 pounds.
>>
>> Source: Fatalities: Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS), National
>> Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation.
>> Injuries: General Estimate System (GES), National Highway Traffic Safety
>> Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation.
>>
>> N/A: Data not available at publication.
>>
>There are many illogical statements in your argument. Two of which are:
>First, you assume that your insurance rates are based on the safety of
>your vehicle. NOT SO, they are influenced by the total costs of the
>insurance industry.
>Secondly, you assume that because safety has improved, costs should not
>rise. The fact is that medical, legal and administrative costs are
>rising, outweighing any improcvement in vehicle safety.
>Thats why your insurance rates GO UP every year not down.
>Thats why legislation that reduces accidents or the severity of
>accidents will help to keep insurance rates in check.
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