Seatbelts Save Lives

[pecunium]

Which is something I am sure you all know (and if not, you can read all about it here, but for a really well written account of how it works in practice, Paul Cornell lawys it out with praise for wives, paramedics and the Ford Focus.

Comments

[martyn44.livejournal.com]

Its amazing the number of people who think the car is on fire when the airbags inflate - just about anyone I've ever spoken to as an accident investigator thought the car was on fire if their airbag inflated. It's the way the dust smells, I'm told.

And, yes, I drive a Ford Focus.

Drive safe.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

I am worried about the airbags, a little, because of the dry lubricants (the "dust"). I have a friend whose sister died from an asthma attack induced by the airbag (it's how she acquired her Miata).

For myself, I'm not worried, but Maia has asthma... So far she's never been in an airbag accident (nor I), so we don't know how she'll be affected. It's rare, but knowing it's possible....

[martyn44.livejournal.com]

That's a very understandable concern. Both Cathie & Melissa suffer from Asthma (MJ quite badly) My experience of accidents - both first hand (unfortunately) and vicariously is that if it is bad enough to inflate the airbag, then without that safety feature you wouldn't be around to worry about your asthma.

It is an area where the old wives always know better than the experts. All I can say is that I wear a seat belt every trip and my car has airbags. Cathie wears a belt every trip. Our kids have always been strapped in and MJ just looked at me horrified when I asked if she would ever not wear a belt (she's the only one who has passed her test) I don't consider myself an expert, but I know enough about the numbers to make that decision. But that's me.

As I say, drive save, and I hope everyone near to you and around you - especially on the road - does too.

[don-fitch.livejournal.com]

I'm glad the Cornells survived without serious damage, but note the absence of mention of the fact that all modern automobiles have seat-belts as a result of those pesky and intrusive Governmental Regulations that require them (and, in most places, their use), to the detriment of our Individual Freedom. (Why, yes, now that you mention it, I _have_ been talking with a Devout Libertarian recently.) And, yeah, there are need-to-be-addressed Problems with airbags, both the lubricant and possible effects of some types on shorter-than-average people.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

The airbag is supposed to deploy at head-on velocities of 15 mph, or more. That's actually a fairly low speed (since it's combined energy which sets them off).

Maia's car has had the airbags deployed (it was while the car was lent to someone). They were struck by someone racing into a left turn, the combined speeds were probably about 25 mph.

When she and I were in a similar wreck, the bags (to our surprise), didn't go off).

I can't imagine not driving without belts (even in military vehicles). I'm happy to have the airbags, and hope to keep on not needing them.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

To be fair, they are in Britain, where the attitudes to various types of "intrustion" is different... after all they accept the burden of National Health Service.

My condolence on the Devout Libertarian.

[tenderberry.livejournal.com]

I remember when cars had no seat belts - 8 mos old being dumped on the car floor & my mother hit the windshield(my first long term memory) 12 yrs old - dashboard to my throat -16 yrs old rolled the family station wagon- 2 sisters in the back seat - one was thrown out the window - fortunately it was rolled down - there was one seat belt in the back - but neither was using it - bruises only - no cuts form all the shattered glass or anything else pure luck I would think -
- became a seatbelt freak when my daughter was born - still drive a 27 yr old car w/ no airbags - did survive being broadsided in that car- and wonder if I'm one of those folks to slight to survive being whacked by an airbag - good to know about the dust released upon deployment - didn't know about that -

Paul captured that daze one goes into after a shock like that - and he's revised my opinion of Fords - at least the Ford Focus -

[don-fitch.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes, "the burden of National Health Service". I've heard about that socialistic institution, and heard it described (by a young American who, I think, has never been seriously ill, physically) as being contrary to the laws of nature because it works to prevent The Market from eliminating from the gene pool many people who are not economically successful. (Somehow, the reasoning behind this escapes me, on many levels.)

Thanks for the condolence, but, to be fair, he's no worse than the average of devout any-other-economic-system people, and not beyond the ability of my Shield of 'Umor (with a few snarky distortion curves) to cope with.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

I recall those cars too, lots of time spent kneeling on the bench back seat, watching the other cars go by.

But when I was eight my mother bought a '67 Saab, and it had seatbelts, and I liked to pretend I was a pilot; since pilots had to strap themselves in, I did; anytime I was in a car which had them.

I'm slight, but I'm not worried about that aspect. I figure it means I'll be further back, and so the energy won't be so bad. Better a hard knock, and then release, than trying to stuff the steering column up my gut.