Helmet & Seat Belt Laws

[-Concho-]

I don't feel strongly either way, but I do lean toward supporting them. Purely from a monetary standpoint tho'...it costs money to get brains scooped off of pavement, and I would think that anyone not using these devices would be more likely to sustain serious injuries than those using them. Does insurance pay for all the costs involved - police, traffic backups, freeway closures (when fatalities are involved).

I've seen them go both ways.  Wrecks where the only one killed was the one wearing the seatbelt and people being ejected and killed because they were not wearing their seatbelt.  The speed that you are traveling has a lot more to do with the survivability of a accident in seatbelt issues.  

Also when there is a major accident that causes closures and fatalities the State foots the bill on everything unless it is alcohol related, then its up to the intoxicated driver.

everyone talks about how medical costs go up due to people not wearing seatbelts and/or helmets..
how much does it cost to enforce?
haw many cops are busy checking seatbelts and helmets instead of stopping criminals?

How do you suppose we pick out the criminals in the bunch?  Racial profiling? I've already been down that road, it sure isnt any fun.  Problem was both times I was investigated for allegedly racially profiling it was white people....  go figure.   Most of your "criminals" are fairly smart folks and are not going to be commiting a clear cut and substantial violation, so then you end up looking for you minor infractions that you are just going to warn for.  

my two cents.  

[StSanta]

Thank you, StSanta, for making my point for me! When you allow your Goverment to educate you, clothe you, and make you well when you are sick you have given that Government a legitimate right to..uh.."nanny" you.

Yep, it's sickening, ain't it? OTOH, there are some things I think all citizens should have access to - healthcare and education. A comparatively small percentage of our taxes go to these two things (something like 16%) so if we could exclude the other BS, we could have pretty low taxes here. But nope. Socialism, at its heart, is egoism maskerading as solidarity. Not good, IMHO.

And you Americans aren't without nannying laws. I seem to remember laws about what sexual positions are legal in some states. not to mention your judicial system leaves you wide open to ridiculous suits left and right. So all is not perfect in the US either.

[beet1e]

StSanta -

And you Americans aren't without nannying laws. I seem to remember laws about what sexual positions are legal in some states. not to mention your judicial system leaves you wide open to ridiculous suits left and right. So all is not perfect in the US either.

ROFL!! Nice one, but other than that I've got pissed of this thread, and will unsubscribe.

Toodle-Pip

[lazs2]

yep.. airhead hit it... the home is the castle thing... once you tell a person that he is the soverign in his home.... it opens up a whole can of worms freedom wise.    When a burglar is shot in a home everyone in the U.S. cheers.   Why?   they put themselves in the homeowners place because so many of us do own our homes.

beetle... what you want is a defacto ban on guns.  you have not spoken out against the very real ban of guns in england.   So.. we assume that the english style of gun control is what you think we should have?   perhaps not... enlighten us... what would you change in english gun laws?   if you would change nothing then you are indeed in favor of gun bans.

seat belt and helmet laws?  right to education and healthcare?  no.   pure nanny crap.   All taxes should be consumption taxes and be "enterprise" funds...If, say, you pay 40 cents a gallon for gas at the pump in taxes then... that money goes into a fund that only can be used to improve roads.   so much per dollar for defense.   It would be easy to see where the money went and how many "programs" we really needed.  

seat belt and helmet laws... no one can prove that we have saved on nickle on overall healthcare by having such laws.   healthcare continues to rise.     Insurance rates have not gone down they have gone up.    
lazs

[Airhead]

Originally posted by StSanta
... you Americans aren't without nannying laws. I seem to remember laws about what sexual positions are legal in some states. not to mention your judicial system leaves you wide open to ridiculous suits left and right. So all is not perfect in the US either.

Oh yeah, sex positions (my favorite is the Mercinary position) and, in the case of Texas, even sex toys (dildos) are outlawed. (Hmmmmm...And I always thought Texans walked funny cause of their boots.) There's also wide areas where it's impossible to buy alcohol (Salt Lake City, Bible Belt) during certain times, too. Nannying laws all, I agree. Well, except the Texas Dildo Ban. That was made necessary due to a shortage of latex rubber and AA batteries.

Lawsuits? You're right. Anybody has the right to sue anybody for anything. That's changing to add some balance and prevent frivilious lawsuits, but if the meantime what do we do? Deny the right of civil redress to people damaged through neglence or incompetince?

You are also right the USA is far from perfect. In fact I can go down to the State Capital or the Federal Building and there'll be dozens of different groups protesting in support of their various causes, using megaphones to shout out just exactly what's wrong with America.

When you and Curval posted that Ameerika thread offering up the viewpoints of different nationalities I read it and my first thought was that all those ethnicities- the Canadian, the Asian, the Bermudian- live in my community and are a part of my country. I don't have to go to Europe to see Serbians, Bosnians, Italians, whatever- all I have to do is wait and eventually they come over here.

Beatle made a comment about "us" (Euros) vs. "them" (Americans) and I let it slide, but that seems to be the attitude here sometimes. Really, we aren't all middle class white guys, illegal Mexicans or ghetto dwelling African Americans. If that's all some people want to focus on, then who's guilty of stereotyping?
Not that Beatle will read this...he uh...had to RTB.