Pianoman's Seatbelt Poll

Pig9r said:

Nothing about the pros of wearing a seatbelt is propaganda. Of the many accidents I have worked the only ones that it wouldn't have made a difference is a few bad side impact collisions on older cars.

I say yes, you say no. We won't convice each other otherwise. No problem, you have a right to your opinion, I have a right to mine.

When I was a kid car seats weren't used. I used to ride on the center console of my dad's Bronco. Nothing happened to me. Why not apply the same logic to my own kid?

You should be able to.

You are right the government shouldn't have to tell you to wear a seatbelt. But when the government does have to clean you up off of the pavement and a member of that government has to knock on your family's door and.....

A service my ridiculously high tax dollars have already paid for.

The difference between helmet laws and seatbelt laws, there are not groups of voters opposed to seatbelt laws, but thanks to AMA and what not there are groups opposed to helmet laws. That is the irony and hypocrisy.

You are right again. It is too bad there aren't anti-seatbelt groups.

It would be pretty ironic that the one thing that could save your life was hanging, unused, inches from you because out of principle you did use it. I'll step away from the soapbox now.

Yes it would - but the key word there is COULD. Maybe it would, maybe it wouldn't have saved my life. Some principles are worth dying for. Is this? Well, probably not but I'll stick with my principles anyway.

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Regardless, the government didn't mandate seat belts for your or my safety. It's all $$$. If tobacco is so bad for us why isn't it banned? $$$ Lots of tax $$$.

Don't Honda offer an airbag as an option on the Goldwing?

chiburbsguy2006 said:

Regardless, the government didn't mandate seat belts for your or my safety. It's all $$$. If tobacco is so bad for us why isn't it banned? $$$ Lots of tax $$$.

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How does the government make money from seat belt laws? From taxes on seat belts?

Xchoppers said:

How does the government make money from seat belt laws? From taxes on seat belts?

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Fines from those who don't wear them. Around here they make quite a bit of money from seatbelt fines. Illinois is a primary enforcement state so they stop you if they think you aren't wearing a seat belt. They also put up roadblocks to check for compliance. Normally what they do here is charge you under the village ordinaces so they don't have to share the fine with the state as they would if they charged you under the state law. It's all about the $$$

In IL, I can see a seat belt tax. They will probably come up with a way to electronically monitor you seat belt usage and charge you for each time you buckle up!

A seatbelt is free to use, and it costs not to use it, what more motivation is needed?

chiburbsguy2006 said:

Fines from those who don't wear them. Around here they make quite a bit of money from seatbelt fines. Illinois is a primary enforcement state so they stop you if they think you aren't wearing a seat belt. They also put up roadblocks to check for compliance. Normally what they do here is charge you under the village ordinaces so they don't have to share the fine with the state as they would if they charged you under the state law. It's all about the $$$

In IL, I can see a seat belt tax. They will probably come up with a way to electronically monitor you seat belt usage and charge you for each time you buckle up!

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The Land of Lincoln has always had some interesting ideas just like Michigan. One of your most interesting ideas to date has been Obama with Wright a close second.

Pig9r said:

A seatbelt is free to use, and it costs not to use it, what more motivation is needed?

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Absolutely none. It is the easiest thing to put on and off. Without it in use you run the very real risk of the Law relieving you of some cash so why take the chance.

It's like helmets. I started riding when I was 15. I'm 58 now. I've never ridden on a public street or roadway without a helmet, ever. I've read all the stats about helmets both pro and con but the bottom line is I feel safer with a lid just as I feel safer with a seatbelt on. Teaching what I teach, I get to see some gory movies at safety seminars I attend. I'm sure Pigger has seen them too. If a seatbelt or a helmet makes just a little difference, it might be the difference between you or I leading a productive and enjoyable life versus being a veggie. I've seen a few veggies, it ain't pretty. I saw one that was ugly, the guy caught the windshield side pillar and the windshield glass with his face. He hit a low immovable object obliquely. Newtons law took full effect...a body in motion tends to stay in motion. I don't know if a seatbelt would have helped but he didn't have it on. He took the steering wheel right below his belt as he ejected forward. He attends the college where I teach....on the gummits dime (read you and me). He face looks like 5 miles of bad road, he has no ear and he's on a piss bag...he's in his 20's. Rides around in a wheelchair too. All that for a moment of indiscretion compounded by no seatbelt. When he talks about his 'accident' he always says 'I shoulda done this and I shoulda done that, but he didn't and now look at him. 60 more years, imprisoned by a mangled body for what....for stupidity.

Hindsight is 20/20.
All the stupid ones realize the errors of their ways, after the fact ...
When I was about 21-22, my wife made me get rid of my collection of helmets from bike crashes/accidents. I had a shelf near our back door where I kept 7 helmets with impacts and road rash. It's fairly certain all 7 had saved my life. I haven't impacted a helmet in 30 years but I still won't ride without one! And, I don't mean a P.O.S. novelty helmet!

Sidecar Flip said:

The Land of Lincoln has always had some interesting ideas just like Michigan. One of your most interesting ideas to date has been Obama with Wright a close second.

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Yeah....on behalf of Illinois, I'm sorry about Obama being elected for anything! I've never voted for Obama, but I'm still embarassed for IL by it. On the positive side for Gov. Blago, Obama is taking some of the spotlight off of his "alleged" illegal activity. Illinois politics is still alive and well in both parties! Our last Governor is doing time and this one may end up that way too!

it's bullsheet

I usually don't wear a seatbelt, but last month I got caught at a checkpoint, they had a cop standing on the sidewalk before the checkpoint, sneaky huh, when I got to the checkpoint my seatbelt was on, but it didn't matter, $46.00 bucks down the drain. When my girlfriend was in her teens, she was in a serious car accident, she was in the back seat, they said if she had her seatbelt on, she would have been dead, so you never know. I think it also gives them another tool to pull you over, then maybe find something more interesting. You gotta wear your seatbelt in some states, but you don't need to wear a helmet on a motorcycle, they're not worried about your safety.

I would be more eager to were seat belts if they would make em halfway comfortable to wear. 2/3 rds of the GM passenger seat belts ratchet you in tighter with every breath, if you weigh over 185 lbs. you have to fish for the **** latch, If you get in a strange car (christ, my own car is strange in the summer) you can spend several minutes just getting out of the dang things, and everyone I ever put on latches on to whiskers every time you move you frickin head. Make the things more user freindly than a straight jacket and I'll wear them all the time. I hate the **** things but I useally wear em.