Seatbelts

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TexasTom

TexasTom

New Member
Jun 26, 2001
413
0
Birmingham UK
Do you think that in a democratic and supposedly free country its fair that the government forces people to wear seatbelts. I am old enough to make an informed opinion on many much more dangerous things such as smoking, but am not allowed to be in a car without wearing a seat belt. surely its my choice if I wish to risk my life by not wearing one? Same for Motorcyclists and helmets, but cyclists dont legally have to wear a helmet... hmmm incosistency dont you love it.
 
Yes you do have the choice, but it's the law. End of story.

Yes you are old enough to think for yourself, but what about the heartache that you would coz for your friends and family if you did die in a car crash coz your weren't wearing one.

In the USA they don't have a national seat belt law, but I wonder the difference in deaths in car accidents would be (allowing for population soze of course) between our country and their's.

For one you wouldn't get in my car without wearing one.
 
5 years ago I never used my belt, never thought it was needed. That was until late one night driving down the interstate and a SUV passed me. 10 miles down the road they rolled it, one guy fell out of it and was ran over by a simi. Anytime I get in my car now I don't feel safe if I don't have it on, even if just moving the car up the driveway.
 
I always wear my belt, at the end of the day if people dont want to wear one its up to them, but if they die its no one elses fault
 
but if they die its no one elses fault

but still the firebridgade and aberlance men still have to try and save yer life, means you make less work for them if you got your belt on in most case`s. Now as for crash helmets I remember reading a study a few years ago and crazy thing was if you hit a tree at 30mph or less you stood more chance of surviving if you didnt have a heltmet on (was in a motorbike mag so could of be rigged) I is though one group of ppl who can ride a motorbike without a helmet though and thats muslims who wear turbuns as they cant get the helmet on over the turbun (old law dunno if still stands)

Tbh these are saftey issuse`s and if you don`t wear a seltbelt/helmet then your just asking for it, been in couple of nasty crashes in my time everytime i had a belt on wouldnt like to think what could of happened.
 
Well you say they save your life, how many people have died when their cars have ended up on their roofs in water or on fire and not been able to get out because seatbelts are a bit iffy upside down? My father was in an accident where he was hit head on by a van, he had no seatbelt on. The engine and transmission came through the bulkhead and crushed the seat, he only survived cos he was thrown into the back...

But I can smoke and kill myself... quite possibly killing others with me,, I can drink and kill myself.... why not go ina carwithout a seat belt and kill myself?
 
You can...your just breaking the law if you do.

...and your right, it would be interesting to find out how many people died in this country last year as the result of wearing a seatbelt when the car crashed.

Without doing one minutes worth of resreach, I'll go out on a limb and say it's prolly no where near the number of people that died because they weren't wearing one.

I see your point about if it is a democratic government then why are we forced to wear them. Well to that I would say this:

Under a democratic government, we voted in our Prime Minister, he's not a dictator (and please no flame remarks to that if you happen to be pro-conservative). Do we not trust the leaders of said body to make laws that will protect the greater good? Do we not trust them to make decisions for the benefit of the nation as a whole. Do we not trust them to make military commands to defend the country. Well yes we do.

It's these governments that impose the laws such as seatbelts to protect the majority of it's citizens.

Thought just enetered my head about what Ajax said, about fireman and paramedics. I wonder how many, if any, over the years of thees service people have died trying to save the life of some tit who chose not to wear a seatbelt, and they were forced to place themselves in a situation where got hurt or killed themselves. That is something that these people should never have to do, they risk there lives day in and out to save ours. Wearing a seatbelt isn't much to ask in return.

...and about your dad, glad he's ok. It would have been sorry if he did become someone who died from wearing a seatbelt, but it's the greater good that these laws are meant to protect, accidents can, and unfortunalty do happen. They can't be used to protect everyone, but they are they to give it a damm good try. That's why a so called democratic government forces us to wear seatbelts.
 
So why does it let people smoke in the pub and kill me? Why can I drink till im dead. The uk supposedly has the safest roads in the world. Most fatal accidents involve a pedestrian, with the pedestrian being the fatality. Why not make people who walk the streets wear helmets? 1% of road deaths are caused by Police cars, an astonishingly high figure when police cars represent only a fraction of that %.

As for pro conservative BAH no comment! I think we should throw a free party for all politicians on a boat, oh lets pick one called titanic :)

And if seatbelts are so important why is it taxi drivers and bus drivers dont wear them? Or the police(especially given their hih accident rate)... Its called the thin end of the wedge!
 
Taxi Drivers don't have to wear them as they have to defend themselves in case they are mugged - it ain't easy to fight someone off whilst your still wearing a seatbelt.

Bus and lorry drivers don't have to wear them as when a bus of lorry hits anything other than a bus or another lorry (or a really big wall) it tends to just keep going. :) With the driver getting nothing more than a bumpy ride.

Are you 100% sure abouit Police not having to wear a seatbelt, coz everytime I see them they do.

As for there road deaths rate. Isn't it usually the result of a high speed car chase coz some asshole is driving at 100 mph coz he thinks he can outrun a helicoptor (which at the end of the day is what he is trying to hide from... losing a tailing police car is only an illusion), or from armed poilce trying to get to a armed robbery seige etc etc. The police do have reasons for speeding, but they aren't above the law, if they kill someone, they're accountable.

As for the smoking or drinking, well that is why you have to be 16 and 18 respectively for it not to be against the law. But if you don't want to beathe others smoke, than sit in the no smoking section, or don't drink in pubs. Hell, hold your friggin breath m8. Nobody asks you to breathe it, it smoke exists, but there a prolly far more dangerous stuff going through yout body right now - how about the transmissions back and forth to the mobile phone your prolly sitting next to.

Finally, if you don't want politicians to run the country, emigrate to Iraq. I here they have a system of goverment prolly more suited to your tastes (coz if you don't want politicians, it must mean military dictatorship).
 
seatbelts save more lives than they cost its that simple
if your in the back seat and im in the front infront of you ill make you wear one coz its endangering my life and if you wont then ill knock u out and put it on you ;)
 
My point exactly Goose! Why not sa up until 16 when your not considered old enough to make life changing choice you have to wear a seatbelt then after that its your own choice. Its called freedom of choice.

So why havent the goverment seen fit to ban smoking. And save 1000s of lives? Cos they can tax it? Or am i being incurably sceptical?Nurses and doctors having to treat 1000's of people each year who go on to die, thats fair on them?

As for the mobile phone argument dont make me laugh. Radio Frequency is a form of NON ionising radiation. The only effect it has is to warm the area it hits. As your avg mobile phone runs under 1w of output power im happy to use one. Now should they start running 400W then ill be standing well clear lol :D
 
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Ban something every1 uses and a huge smuggling business starts etc. And ppl who cant afford the booze/smokes will start stealing possibly etc.

There are many things to consider.
 
Originally posted by TexasTom
So why havent the goverment seen fit to ban smoking. And save 1000s of lives? Cos they can tax it?
Click to expand...


Yes. Smoking hasn't been banned and never will be because of the vast tax revenue it brings in. If you die from smoking, the government has made a profit from you. Tobacco revenues far exceed the cost of treating smokers - most of whom die before they even realise they have cancer.

With seatbelts, the government profits if you wear one as opposed to if you don't. If you wear one, you're less likely to be injured in a crash and require expensive medical treatment.


@Ajax - muslims have to wear helmets on motorbikes just like everyone else. Its the Sikhs with their turbans who are exempted.

@Goose - stop having a dig at me just coz I vote tory you fecker! :D No, I don't trust the current government at all. Their record in office so far shows how little regard they have for the average citizen in this country. Schools fucked. Hospitals fucked. Pensions fucked. etc etc. And all as a result of their policies, and not "carry over" ones from the previous tory administration.

pffff
 
Damnit Bluey stole me thunder there!

Was going to say that if ur in the back seat u should be made to wear a seat belt whether u like it or not as it's not necessarily ur life ur risking.

And tbh its not just ur life ur risking if ur in the front either. If u fly through ur windscreen in an accident and land on the other side of the road ur probably going to involve a lot more people on the accident list. An extreme example, but true.

And yes people kill themselves in other ways (suicide itself is illegal), drugs, drinking, smoking etc and the cost on the NHS is huge, but we can't ban everything!!!

Imagine the posts on this forum if they did :p:

Neway if you banned the slow killers income tax etc would have to rise fs. I say let the ppl who choose to kill themselves by smoking pay the government the extra money they need.
 
at the age of 7. i had argued screamed and kicked at my dad that i didnt want to wear it one day coz it was tight i didnt like it. dad made me wear it. id decided dad was mean and evil. got 5 minutes down the road and was in a nasty accident, car turned over on its side. I would probably be dead or seriously injured now if it wasnt for the belt and my dad arguing with me. there was no law on seat belts then. just common sense. lucky for me i got sensible parents

I say to people 'if u dont wear ure belt in my car u can get a bus' now.

The law is there to help us all be safe. not annoy us.
(if i rewording what someone else said i sorry. but i in a hurry ;) )
 
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Research shows that beyond doubt seatbelts save lives.I would though vote for TexasTom to not have to wear 1:lol:


jk
 
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