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a paper on driving safety
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Section 1: Overview. Today, it is the routine of most drivers to get into their vehicles, and immediately put their seat belt on. It is the common belief that seat belts save lives. Parents and driving instructors have told drivers this from the day they began driving. States have even gone as far as creating laws, which require drivers and their passengers to “buckle up”. However, do these drivers ever consider the effectiveness, benefits, or costs of this polyester strap that is entrusted to protect themselves and their occupants during the time of a crash?
Safety standards have come a long way in the past three decades. Most recently, in April of 2014 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed a rule that would require all light vehicles produced after 2018 to have a rear-view camera system (Woodyard, 2014). However, the safety of vehicles has not always been as high of a concern as it is today. Kip Viscussi and Joseph Harrington write in their book, Economics of Regulation and Antitrust (2005), that in the early 1960s “there were no requirements that automobiles include safety belts, and in general they did not” (p. 789). However, significant changes were made during the 1980s, which are still very relevant today.
On July 11, 1984, the “Amendment to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 Passenger Car Front Seat Occupant Protection,” was passed and applies to vehicles produced after September 1, 1989. This amendment requires that there is a constraint installed in a vehicle, whether that is a seat belt or air bag, to protect the occupant. The initial amendment was phased-in starting in 1987, but after 1989, it was required for all cars manufactured ("Third Report to Congress Effectiveness of Occupa...
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...e adoption of air bags was a rational market outcome. Air bags were offered by automakers because consumers were willing to pay for them--increasingly willing as information about actual experiences with air bags spread through the media and friends.”
In Richard Arnould’s and Henry Grabowski’s article, “Auto safety regulation: An Analysis of Market Failure,” (1981) the authors argue the opposite about seat belts. The authors explain that because of drivers’ low perceived probability that they will be involved in a car accident, they often do not wear seat belts. “If individuals have perfect information about the probability distribution of personal injuries and there are no externalities, and also assuming the postulates of rational behavior, a competitive market will lead to an optimal use of protective devices like seat belts” (Arnould and Hrabowski, 1981).
In North Carolina, the “Click It or Ticket” program was put into place in 1993 by former Governor Jim Hunt to increase safety belt and child safety use rates through stepped up enforcement of the state’s safety belt law. According to North Carolina’s safety belt law all drivers and front seat passengers over the age of 16 are required to wear safety belts. Children less than age 16 are covered under the North Carolina Child Restraint Law. This law requires that children must be buckled up no matter where they are seated in the vehicle. Violators of the safety belt law are issued tickets and are subject to a fine of $25 plus $50 court costs. These violations have been defined as “infractions” and are not entered on driving records. In addition to this, effective January 1, 2005, any child less than 8 years old or 80 pounds in weight must ride in a booster seat. Violations of this law will result in a $25 fine plus court costs as well as having 2 points placed against driver’s license. However, drivers cited for this violation of this law for a 5,6, or 7 year old will be able to have the charges dismissed if they present proof to the court that they have acquired an appropriate restraint for that child. Statistics have been gathered on safety belt use since this program began and has shown that seat belt use has increased from 65 percent to 84 percent. It has also shown that fatal and serious injuries in North Carolina have been cut by 14 percent. Resulting in a savings of at least $135 million in health care related costs. Other positive ef...
At the turn of the twenty-first century, the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) stated a plea for consideration of the installment of three-point seatbelts (three points of securement for a student) or two-point seatbelts on the assembly line (Gray). NASDPTS stated, “We believe this decision should be based on state or local need, but we also believe lap/shoulder belts… should be...
Making a good and persuasive argument is very much an acquired skill. It requires much practice and perfecting. It takes more than just having passion and making good points. Just because a person is passionate about the topic or has supporting details does not mean they can make a successful argument. Much more thought and skill is required. Gordon Adams, in his letter to the Arizona State University standards committee, demonstrates this quite well. Gordon Adams writes a passionate argument, yet his argument lacks several critical aspects.
Since the early 1990s, the car market has become saturated with sport utility vehicles. While SUV’s have been enthusiastically received by a wide spectrum of the demographic – everyone from teenagers to soccer moms -- not all are excited by its arrival. Some of the current complaints with SUVs have to do with their ridiculous size and relative fuel inefficiency. Others criticize the vehicles as being unsafe, and certainly unnecessary, for the tasks for which they are commonly used. But even with the recent campaigns to educate the public on the possible physical and environmental risks posed by the automobiles, SUV purchases continue to be on the rise. Indeed, with car sales on the decline, and the SUV being seen as a possible savior -- or at least band-aid -- for the struggling motor industry, any movement to ban SUVs in the near future is unlikely.
Current seat belt law originated from federal legislation in the 1960s that made it mandatory for all automobile manufacturers to include seat belts in their vehicles as a standard feature. Originally, the purpose of a seat belt was not to protect the occupants in the case of a crash, but rather to physically keep them in the vehicle, as driving was bumpy business.
This woman’s story may not be one that will ever happen to many people, but if it did a seatbelt is one of the only defenses one has against it. A seatbelt is not a new development and seatbelt laws are not new either and refusing to wear a seatbelt is disregard for the law and one’s own safety. Everyone has to wear a seatbelt, no one is picked, and people from celebrities down to a common sixteen-year-old driver have to wear one. No one is exempt from the law and no one should be aloud to break it. It’s not hard to do and shouldn’t be hard to remember because all it takes is a click and even though some have come up with many reasons not to wear them the benefits of wearing a seatbelt outweigh the disadvantages by far.
Compared to others in its class, the Ford Pinto was an average performing vehicle; there was nothing astonishing about the car, good or bad. Ford’s actions regarding the Pinto’s development and release were not unique. From an engineering standpoint, Ford fulfilled the car’s purpose; a fuel efficient, subcompact vehicle which the public could afford. The media frenzy which followed the Pinto was an exploitation of the separation between public opinion and the hidden standards and processes behind design liability. It’s difficult to imagine any company being able to convince the public that the math makes sense; Ford had the deck stacked against them from the beginning.
Car accidents are the leading cause of death for people under the age of 35. Wearing a seat belt can prevent death in about half of these accidents. Did you know that every 15 seconds someone is injured in an automobile accident if they are not buckled up, or that every 13 minutes someone is killed in a crash. Failure to wear a seat belt contributes to more fatalities than any other single traffic safety related behavior. According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration seatbelts saved nearly 12,000 lives in the United States in the year 2000. The NHTSA estimates that more than 9,000 U.S. car accident fatalities in 2000 would have been avoided if the victims had been wearing seatbelts. Sixty three percent of the people killed in accidents were not wearing seat belts. The NHTSA a...
After thousands of accidents where the occupants did not wear their seatbelts, the Supreme Court decided to pass some laws. “In 1972, the agency requires dull passive restraints for front seat occupants” (Supreme Court). The agency that the Supreme Court is referring to is the Department of Transportation. This law is a staple in automobile safety and sets a level of precedent for future laws. After this law was passed, the number of fatalities from traffic incidents relating to seat belts usage had dropped.
Although motor vehicle crashes are responsible for most severe maternal injuries and fetal losses form trauma, pregnant women have low rates of seat belt use. Proper seat belt use is the most significant modifiable factor in decreasing maternal and fetal injury and mortality after motor vehicle crashes. Seat belt-restrained women who are in motor vehicle crashes have the same fetal mortality rate as women who are not in motor vehicle crashes, but unrestrained women who are in crashes are 2.8 times more likely to lose their fetuses.
Using seat belt when driving can help us to prevent death when an accident occurs.
SUV’s have become the center of a large controversy in the last couple of years. Many studies have been conducted on the relation to the economy and the popularity of the SUV. The sport utility vehicle not only affects the economy with its gas-guzzling capabilities during a time of war, but with the safety questions that have continued to arise.
There is a massive amount of car accidents that occur every day, that consequently become fatal. In many cases, the driver and the passengers do not have on a seat belt to prevent them from being thrown out of the car or colliding with another car, causing them to be thrown against the dashboard or some other tragic accident. Some people may think, “Wearing a seatbelt isn’t cool”, “I’m only going down the street” or sometimes just irresponsibly forget to put on their seatbelt when they are inside of a vehicle. You may think that wearing a seatbelt is not trendy and you are only making a quick trip going down the street to the corner store, however, you cannot control others actions on the road anything can happen in the blink of an eye.
We have all heard the excuses before, “do I have to wear it? It isn’t like it’s going to protect me,” “it’s uncomfortable, I’m only going around the corner,” or “I’d rather be thrown out of the vehicle than to be stuck in a seat belt.” No matter how good of a driver you are, or you think you might be, there are always situations that are beyond your control. Such as, bad weather, drunk drivers, and road conditions. Sometimes, seat belts can be a life or death in an automobile accident. Not only is wearing your seat belt every time you get in a vehicle, but it is required by law in 49 states, with the exception of New Hampshire. Although seat belts are known to lock up and wrinkle your clothes, I believe that wearing your seat belt is beneficial because every fourteen seconds someone is injured in a traffic crash. Seat belts are not only known for holding you in place during a collision, but more importantly the are known to save the lives of the occupants in the vehicle.
Road safety is one of the most important aspects of daily living. Our vehicle is our main transportation from one place to another. The number of car and motorcycle accidents seem to be increasing because of the many distractions, the lack of safety measures and judgment to road conditions and weather. Not being cautious increases the chances of not only injuring ourselves but hurting others as well. On the road, you see people talking on their cell phones or texting, eating, putting makeup on, changing the radio station, reading or using your GPS while driving. These are all distractions that endanger drivers, passengers and bystanders safety. Safe driving involves off-road precautionary measures such as making sure tires are properly inflated, testing windshield wipers, getting regular oil changes and tune-ups and adjusting the mirrors. All of these actions can help prevent an accident. Unfortunately, not all of us decide to wear our seat belts when driving or turn signal ligh...