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>> At least around here, not everyone thinks safety is the most important (and IMHO that's a good thing.) Could you clarify why you think safety is not the mos
by jawrainey 9y ago
>> At least around here, not everyone thinks safety is the most important (and IMHO that's a good thing.)
Could you clarify why you think safety is not the most important characteristic of driving on the road?
- fhood 9y agoWell, in the case of motorcycles, they are unsafe primarily for the driver, and not really for anyone else, so as long as the driver is aware of the danger they pose to themselves, there is no issue.
- ams6110 9y agoYou can say the same about seat belts, but they are compulsory almost everywhere now.
- interfixus 9y agoYou can indeed, and I have done so, ever since the things became mandatory many years ago. I wouldn't ever drive ten meters without my belt on, but I'm all for the freedom of anyone to be an idiot, as long as the idiocy isn't directed at anyone else.
- nradov 9y agoThe idiocy of not wearing a seatbelt is directed at everyone else. An unbelted driver is more likely to completely lose control of the vehicle after an initial collision and end up causing addition damage to others. Plus now that we effectively have socialized medicine we all end up paying for the idiots.
- mustacheemperor 9y agoYou can't safely redirect your car after a minor accident if you were decapitated by the windshield.
- KGIII 9y agoWe have very different views as to what makes a minor accident. ;-)
- toomanybeersies 9y agoAlthough decapitation by windshield is unlikely (due to their design), you don't have to be going very fast to seriously damage yourself on the windshield if you're not wearing a seat belt. I crashed a truck once, going maybe 30-40 km/h, wearing a seat belt. I ended up with some minor bruising from the seat belt, and no other damage, but everything else in the car went flying, including the glasses off my head. If I wasn't belted up, my head would've hit the windshield or steering wheel quite hard, and I likely would've needed to go to the hospital.
- freehunter 9y agoIf safety was the most important thing, everyone would be driving the same car, no one would be driving motorcycles, and no one would get on the freeway with an SUV. Other factors like available seating, looks, price, and creature comforts often take precedence over safety in the minds of many consumers.
- KingMob 9y agoAren't a number of SUVs less safe than cars? Particularly, I seem to recall that cheap, top-heavy SUVs built on a car base (instead of a truck base) are way more likely to tip or roll over in an accident.
- freehunter 9y agoldev1 replied to the wrong person, but he's right. I mentioned SUVs would stay off the freeway because they're less safe, especially at high speeds.
- abawany 9y agoIt is my understanding from anecdotal evidence that perception reins over reality in this case. SUVs do have a mass advantage so they were expected to win in a collision with a compact car. They also project ruggedness, which is equated with safety.
- ldev1 9y agoHence the > and no one would get on the freeway with an SUV.
- smacktoward 9y agoIf safety was the most important thing, nobody would be driving a car at all. There are lots of ways to get from point A to point B, just about all of which are safer than driving. We drive cars because they hit a sweet spot of speed, personal autonomy, and comparative expense, with a cost to personal safety that we've collectively decided we're willing to live with.
- 9y ago
- olyjohn 9y agoIn my opinion, If people REALLY cared about safety, we'd all have roll cages, harnesses, helmets and driver's suits. Convenience generally trumps real safety. Safety only becomes popular when there's no user intervention required and people don't notice the costs.