I hate airbags

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Kremlar

Golden Member
Oct 10, 1999
1,426
3
81
Last time I checked, we have millions of new drivers and millions of news cars on the road each year......

We also have miles and miles of new highways being built every year.
 

Pliablemoose

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
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Originally posted by: Kremlar
Seriously - BOTTOM LINE - why shouldn't this be OUR choice?


Did you even read my 1st post, the technology to save lives & reduce disability was around for 3 decades & the auto industry wouldn't adopt it.

Forcing the auto manufacturers to adopt airbags has changed the industry in a fundamental way, prior to airbags the auto industry felt safe cars wouldn't sell, now they're showing crashes in ads and pimping safety...
 

Kremlar

Golden Member
Oct 10, 1999
1,426
3
81
Did you even read my 1st post, the technology to save lives & reduce disability was around for 3 decades & the auto industry wouldn't adopt it.

I did. So what's your point?

If that was an issue, force the auto manufacturers to OFFER it as an option, don't force them to sell it as STANDARD.

I'm all for choices, but I'm NOT for other people making choices for you.
 

Pliablemoose

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
25,195
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Originally posted by: Kremlar
Did you even read my 1st post, the technology to save lives & reduce disability was around for 3 decades & the auto industry wouldn't adopt it.

I did. So what's your point?

If that was an issue, force the auto manufacturers to OFFER it as an option, don't force them to sell it as STANDARD.

I'm all for choices, but I'm NOT for other people making choices for you.

Sighs, walks away from thread...
 

NFS4

No Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
72,636
47
91
Originally posted by: Kremlar
Did you even read my 1st post, the technology to save lives & reduce disability was around for 3 decades & the auto industry wouldn't adopt it.

I did. So what's your point?

If that was an issue, force the auto manufacturers to OFFER it as an option, don't force them to sell it as STANDARD.

I'm all for choices, but I'm NOT for other people making choices for you.

Seatbelts? Optional?
Airbags? Optional?
Shift interlock? Optional?
Side-guard door beams? Optional?
CHMSL? Optional?
 

MechJinx

Senior member
Mar 22, 2004
421
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I, personally, think that airbags are a good thing. But, I do have a story to illustrate how they can be detrimental. A couple of years ago, my younger brother and I were both working at the same company and we were both going to community college. We had a CS clss together one winter semester. One fine winter day after it had snowed quite a bit, we had finished up with class in the morning and were heading to work. It was my brother's week to drive. We were heading to the back entrance of the community college and were stopped at a stop sign at a very busy 3 way intersection. We were turning left and my brother started into the intersection. The problem was that my brother missed another car from the opposite direction start into the intersection as well. My brother hit his brakes, but the intersection was very icy and he slid right into the other vehicle. We were both wearing our seatbelts. My brother's car had a driver side air bag, but no passenger airbag. He must have been going just fast enough to trigger the airbag because I was hardly jostled at all in my seat and was started to laugh off the situation to ease stress for my brother until I turned and looked at him. He was dazed from the impact of the airbag and had scratches on his face from the impact. It still surprises me to this day that the airbag went off. My poor brother was much worse off because of the airbag in that situation. It isn't a perfect science, but I do believe it does help. To this day, we still refer to that incident as my brother getting in a fight with the airbag and losing. :)
 

Kremlar

Golden Member
Oct 10, 1999
1,426
3
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And???

If we're adding millions of cars on the road each year and miles and miles of new road and the death rate is staying fairly level, that must mean that:

A) Deaths per number of vehicles on the road is going down (more and more vehicles with airbags) or
B) I'm going crazy

More vehicles does not necessarily mean more deaths. More vehicles = more traffic = less deaths. Vehicle deaths do not typically occur in traffic jams.

There are many other variables to look at, other safety improvements going on every day. My point was - airbags have not created a huge drop in highway deaths.

A huge percentage of all cars on the road have airbags now. Have deaths dropped by 50%? Even 10%? Has the number of cars doubled in the past 5 years? No.
 

Kremlar

Golden Member
Oct 10, 1999
1,426
3
81
Seatbelts? Optional?
Airbags? Optional?
Shift interlock? Optional?
Side-guard door beams? Optional?
CHMSL? Optional?

Anything that only affects YOU and the contents of YOUR car should not be forced on you, especially if you have to pay for it.

Anything else should be optional - the government should not have a hand in it.

 

jemcam

Diamond Member
Jan 3, 2001
3,676
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I guess you're right. They should also make hydraulic brakes with redundant systems optional as well. Anything that makes cars cheaper for you and makes you happy.

I've seen the results first hand for almost 30 years. How old are you anyway?
 

Kremlar

Golden Member
Oct 10, 1999
1,426
3
81
I guess you're right. They should also make hydraulic brakes with redundant systems optional as well.

Let the market decide for itself, business & marketing 101. Improve the brakes on your vehicles, customers will buy your vehicles, competitors will duplicate your features, everyone is happy.

Anything that makes cars cheaper for you and makes you happy.

No - I want a CHOICE.

I've seen the results first hand for almost 30 years.

That's great - enought information for you to make YOUR CHOICE. Now, can I make mine?

How old are you anyway?

I'm 32, driving for 16 years, 4 accidents. 1 driving in the snow, 1 driving head on into another vehicle, 1 rear ended as a passenger, 1 driving and hit in the side.

Also 5'11", brown hair, brown eyes, medium build. Anything else?
 

jemcam

Diamond Member
Jan 3, 2001
3,676
0
0
Originally posted by: Kremlar
I guess you're right. They should also make hydraulic brakes with redundant systems optional as well.

Let the market decide for itself, business & marketing 101. Improve the brakes on your vehicles, customers will buy your vehicles, competitors will duplicate your features, everyone is happy.

Anything that makes cars cheaper for you and makes you happy.

No - I want a CHOICE.

I've seen the results first hand for almost 30 years. How old are you anyway?

I'm 32, driving for 16 years, 4 accidents. 1 driving in the snow, 1 driving head on into another vehicle, 1 rear ended as a passenger, 1 driving and hit in the side.

Also 5'11", brown hair, brown eyes, medium build. Anything else?


Yeah, what's your IQ moron?
 

Hammer

Lifer
Oct 19, 2001
13,217
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pretty convincing stats.

Overall Airbag decrease in fatality-19%
Airbag+Seat Belt-28% lower fatality
Fatalities compared to belt alone- 15% fewer
Airbag fatalities w/o seatbelt- 31% fewer than no seatbelt and no airbag
Reduction of fatalities due to ejection from vehicle- 9%
In another study:
23% reduced fatality in frontal crashes, compared to with & without seatbelt
16% reduced fatality in all crashes, front, back, side.
 

CPA

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
30,322
4
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Originally posted by: moshquerade
Originally posted by: akubi
did you actually go read the entire article? this study only applies to teens < 14 yo in the front seat.

unless you have the build of a 14 yo you are safer with an airbag installed.
Just don't let kids ride in the front
exactly.

now tell us why you hate airbags OP.

i was in an accident and had an airbag go off in my face. it was much better than eating the steering wheel or the dash.


That's great for you, but it should be your choice, not some politician's mandate.
 

Kremlar

Golden Member
Oct 10, 1999
1,426
3
81
pretty convincing stats.

Overall Airbag decrease in fatality-19%
Airbag+Seat Belt-28% lower fatality
Fatalities compared to belt alone- 15% fewer
Airbag fatalities w/o seatbelt- 31% fewer than no seatbelt and no airbag
Reduction of fatalities due to ejection from vehicle- 9%
In another study:
23% reduced fatality in frontal crashes, compared to with & without seatbelt
16% reduced fatality in all crashes, front, back, side.

That's great, but what's the source?

Did you read in the above articles why the NHTSA stats are skewed?
 

newnameman

Platinum Member
Nov 20, 2002
2,219
0
0
Originally posted by: Kremlar
More vehicles does not necessarily mean more deaths. More vehicles = more traffic = less deaths. Vehicle deaths do not typically occur in traffic jams.
You're not very smart, are you?
 

xSauronx

Lifer
Jul 14, 2000
19,582
4
81
Originally posted by: akubi
did you actually go read the entire article? this study only applies to teens < 14 yo in the front seat.

unless you have the build of a 14 yo you are safer with an airbag installed.
Just don't let kids ride in the front

my 38 yr old history teacher had his face busted to pieces from the airbag. i imagine he would have otherwise died, but people 14 and younger arent the only ones who can have a face smashed by them.
 

FirNaTine

Senior member
Jun 6, 2005
639
185
116
They are mandatory because they work and they reduce costs to society as a whole. If you choose to disable your airbag can we choose not to pay for your injuries that would not have happened if they were functioning?
 

Kremlar

Golden Member
Oct 10, 1999
1,426
3
81
You're not very smart, are you?

Nice retort. Makes you look like a genius. LOL

They are mandatory because they work and they reduce costs to society as a whole. If you choose to disable your airbag can we choose not to pay for your injuries that would not have happened if they were functioning?

I don't see anything that proves this, whatsoever. Just look at insurance costs over the past 10 years - do they reflect any kind of cost savings from air bags?? How about any savings in health insurance?? Has any kind of insurance dropped even $1 in the past decade??

And I pay for my own insurance, thank you. I've paid about $25K of auto insurance, $6400 in house insurance, $800 in apartment insurance, and about $18K in health insurance (out of my pocket). I've cost my insurance company about $5k in auto damage, and my health insurance company about $800 in medical bills.
 

FirNaTine

Senior member
Jun 6, 2005
639
185
116
Maybe you would like to make it your choice to smoke crack, after all it only hurts you.
 

ghostman

Golden Member
Jul 12, 2000
1,819
1
76
I don't care how f'd up you get, as long as I don't have to pay for it. But as long as there are idiots out there who aren't covered and will end up leeching off the gov't for their injuries, then I do support mandatory airbags. And no, I don't need to see the evidence for the cost reduction because saving even one leech is worth it (because it saved me money....haha... I'm a fvcking philanthropist!).