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I didn't mean to suggest the government invented seat belts. It did mandate them, not only wearing them, but circa 1964 their very availability in cars. The ind
by jklowden 11y ago
I didn't mean to suggest the government invented seat belts. It did mandate them, not only wearing them, but circa 1964 their very availability in cars. The industry, and a fair number of car buyers, didn't want buyers to be reminded that cars could be dangerous.
Heroic? No, but what government is heroic? That seat belts and seat belt laws save lives every year is indisputable. Perhaps to you that's an impermissible curtailment on your right to die in a crash. It might help to remember also benefit indirectly through lower insurance premiums.
(In answer down thread to why I posted my reply, apologies. I meant to reply to another question about why the article mentioned electric cars, but clicked the wrong link.)
- icebraining 11y agoI didn't mean to suggest the government invented seat belts. It did mandate them, not only wearing them, but circa 1964 their very availability in cars. The industry, and a fair number of car buyers, didn't want buyers to be reminded that cars could be dangerous. I don't think that's true. Nash had made them standard years before, multiple other manufacturers had them as options, and Ford promoted cars with their Lifeguard system[1], including sealtbelts, long before those laws. The reality is that people didn't care, as evidenced by the fact that in 1981, thirteen years after seatbelts became mandatory in all cars, the CDC estimated that only 11% of car occupants used them[2]. [1] https://books.google.pt/books?id=1FQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA47&lpg=PA47&dq=Ford+%E2%80%9CLifeguard%E2%80%9D+safety+features&source=bl&ots=lXLyCwrWMT&sig=hSwHDz3fXqxHPEXW-v1_fUa2TEU&hl=en&ei=_LLaTaS1HozbiALv3tyACA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Ford%20%E2%80%9CLifeguard%E2%80%9D%20safety%20features&f=false https://books.google.pt/books?id=1FQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA47&lpg=PA... [2] http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/seatbeltbrief/ http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/seatbeltbrief/