OT: What Has The World Come To

[Roanon]

Originally posted by DavidG:
I'd be willing be most serious accidents are caused in some part by excessive speed.

Of course, a speed of zero guarantees no accidents at all . A fact is, though, that least of all accidents happen on motorways, and of those few the most happen on construction sites, where a speed limit makes sense (and is rarely checked, like near schools and on other sites where they make sense - and are followed most of the time even if not radar-checked).
Just pure speed on a suitable highway is not dangerous in itself. In fact, a general speed limit without reason slightly increases accidents, because it lessens your concentration when you are forced to drive way below your skill limit, and causes so called "micro-sleeps" when even slightly tired or fatigued, which then can cause accidents. In these situations driving faster, at a comfortable speed, is in fact safer, because it enhances attention and reactions.
"Too fast" is very much depending on the situation, there are situations when even 40 mph is way too fast. But the US standard 55 mph on highways with little or no traffic are just ridiculous and unmatched, no other country with general speed limits has such a low limit.

[Narrew]

Wardad your a funny guy, first the dog in a car at night with those 2 old crones then that artical, funny stuff. Could you post the link to that article? Thanks

[ April 05, 2004, 18:24: Message edited by: Narrew ]

[Yef]

Originally posted by geoschmo:
Seat belts and helmets don't just save lives, they lessen injuries. People don't always die from their injuries. Sometimes they are seriously injured and incapacitated. The cost of their health care falls, at best, to everyone else in their health plan, and at worst to the all of us through government assistance.

I see your point.
It could be a big sum at national level.
Still, I can't wear those dam things. So I'll keep doing what I've been doing, but I'll refrein from making an issue of it or giving it free advertisement.
You have convinced me that its in my best interest that other people wear the seatbelts.

[Yef]

Originally posted by Captain Kwok:
I sure hope in your protest against oppression, you never get ejected through the windshield.

Don't worry, I'm invincible.
Well, sort of.
I've been through very bad situations and I never got an scratch.

[geoschmo]

Originally posted by PvK:
If we want to be unsafe, that's our own business. We can certainly do it in other ways besides the ones that busybody laws cover, too.

In my case, these laws are not making me any more safe.

The law isn't there to make you safe. The law is there to keep you from crippling yourself and thus becoming a burden to society.

If as a soceity we had the nerve to allow you to suffer the consequences of your own poor choices, then we wouldn't need seatbelt laws. People could make rational, considered decisions whether or not to use them. If they didn't and damaged themselves beyond their ability to pay for the doctors bill... well you know what happens when you don't pay your phone bill.

But instead as a soceity we are incapable of making those kinds of tough choices. It makes us feel less then human, and probably rightly so.

So we insist that you have access to emergency medical care even if you can't pay for it. And we all foot the bill, whether it's through higher insurance premiums, higher taxes, or just higher overall medical costs to offset what the hospital ends up writing off. It might be less then optimal care at a county-run hospital, but we don't leave you on the curb or send you home to die.

If we as a soceity are going to be footing the bill for your stint in intensive care, then we as a soceity have the right to ask you to do some little inconvienent things, like wear a seat belt, that might lessen the burden to us all.

[ April 05, 2004, 18:32: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

[Wardad]

Originally posted by Narrew:
Wardad your a funny guy, first the dog in a car at night with those 2 old crones then that artical, funny stuff. Could you post the link to that article? Thanks

Hey, thanks for thee compliment.

The artical "REPUBLICANISM SHOWN TO BE GENETIC IN ORIGIN" was emailed to me. I googled it and it has gotten around to a lot of forums. A lot of people want to know where it started.


BTW: The ladies were not crones. They were kinda cute and younger than me, well mid thirties.

[Narrew]

Originally posted by Wardad:
BTW: The ladies were not crones. They were kinda cute and younger than me, well mid thirties.

ok, my bad, but you would think in their thirties they would have something more important to do than worry about dogs in a car at night, hehe, maybe they were real blonds and didn't know it was night?

I will do a search on the article also, I think it was funny and I am consertitive at that.

[DavidG]

Originally posted by Roanon:

quote:

---

Originally posted by DavidG:
I'd be willing be most serious accidents are caused in some part by excessive speed.

Of course, a speed of zero guarantees no accidents at all . A fact is, though, that least of all accidents happen on motorways, and of those few the most happen on construction sites, where a speed limit makes sense (and is rarely checked, like near schools and on other sites where they make sense - and are followed most of the time even if not radar-checked).
Just pure speed on a suitable highway is not dangerous in itself. In fact, a general speed limit without reason slightly increases accidents, because it lessens your concentration when you are forced to drive way below your skill limit, and causes so called "micro-sleeps" when even slightly tired or fatigued, which then can cause accidents. In these situations driving faster, at a comfortable speed, is in fact safer, because it enhances attention and reactions.
"Too fast" is very much depending on the situation, there are situations when even 40 mph is way too fast. But the US standard 55 mph on highways with little or no traffic are just ridiculous and unmatched, no other country with general speed limits has such a low limit.

---

Well of course I was talking about traffic accidents which pretty much always happen on roads. And also I said speed was "in some part" responsible. Of course not 100% responsible. I don't buy at all that "driving below your skill level" causes lack of concentraction and thus accidents. Sounds like you are saying you should be going like a bat out of hell to keep up the concentration level??

Accidents are caused by something unexpected happening. When this happens the guy going the speed limit is much more likely to avoid the incident. that's just simple physics.

[solops]

"What Has The World Come To"

Oooo! Ooooo! Pick me! I know the answer!

Its in the same sorry state it was 7000 years ago. The names have changed, but people haven't.

[tesco samoa]

PVK Safety is part of the laws. If people wish to use Public roads and Highways then they must follow the Road and Safety act. Or what ever it is called in your area. Their choice is to use the roads and follow the laws or not use the roads.

Safety belts is one of these laws. Other ones are drag chains on Trailers. Child seats in the back. Etc...

They are designed to make the roads safer for those who travel on it. And in the times when there is an accident to lessen the damage to people and vechiles. Fatalities take alot longer to clean up than non fatal accidents. And this time frame also affects everything that needs to travel down that road. And all other roads that are affected by the run off of divirted traffic.


If they are on Personal Private Property. Then that is a different matter and they will follow the Laws of that Property.


DavidG to me that is just another taxation on us. It does not make us any safer. Everyone could be doing 110 in a 100 zone. How does taking a picture of all those vechiles make us safer ?

Does it stop the person passing on the right or doing dangerous lane changes travelling at 100 km.

In the Photo Radar world that person is the safe one.