Seat Belts, Air Bags, Other Features Have Saved 329,000 Lives, Government

[seriousstan]

DETROIT (AP) - Seat belts, air bags and other vehicle safety features have saved 329,000 lives since 1960, according to a report released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
More than half of those lives were saved by seat belts, the report said. In addition to seat belts and air bags, the report evaluated child safety seats, energy-absorbing steering columns, improved roof and side protection and shatter-resistant windshields.

"Thousands of our friends, neighbors and family members are alive today because of these safety innovations," Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said.

According to the study, the number of lives saved annually from safety devices increased from 115 per year in 1960 to 25,000 per year in 2002.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGB3QP7M44E.html

[trotsky]

1. Damn big government! What has it ever done for us?

Oh, um, never mind... ;-)

[RC]

2. Air bags also kill people

The daughter of a woman I knew was killed by an airbag when she was T-boned by another driver. The daughter was driving and was hit on the passenger side. The bag caught her between the shoulder and the head, snapping her neck.

Name another safety device that is so dangerous that it requires warnings as to it's use.

[seriousstan]

4. Nothing is perfect and the odds are it will save you.

[texastoast]

5. They do

But percentage-wise, they save far more lives than kill people. That is not to say that their design and deployment couldn't be improved.

That is terrible about the daughter of the woman you knew. I had a friend that would have died if he had been wearing his seatbelt when his convertible flipped (no rollover). Freaky stuff happens.

[texastoast]

3. Freaking trial lawyers

and their pushing the auto infant seats. And rollover protection. Who needs THAT?

Don't get me started their saying the pharmaceutical companies lied about about Vioxx, Celebrex, etc.

Kill 'em all!

:evilgrin:

[TahitiNut]

6. Do you mean ... like ... Ralph Nader?

:evilgrin:

[texastoast]

7. If only Ralph

would have remained the kickass consumer advocate instead of running for president.

Lamentable.

[MrMonk]

8. 329,001

Saved my nephew's life just last week.

[anakie]

9. and people still refuse to wear seat belts

even after conclusive evidence that seat belts save lives. Probably the same people who believe Saddam was responsible for 911 and had WMD's.

[girl gone mad]

10. And we have evil liberal activists to thank for it. n/t

[LeftyMom]

11. he stats would be even better if child seats were used correctly

Over 80% of child seats aren't being used correctly. Everybody go get your kid's seat loked at and make sure it's safe, okay? http://www.safekids.org/tier2_rl.cfm?folder_id=1400