Some thoughts:

All safety equipment should be optional.
Drivers must be educated about safety issues in general.
Auto buyers should have to sign a waiver to opt-out of having certain equipment.
All laws requiring use of safety equipment should be repealed.
Insurance should be discounted for people who acually use safety equipment.
If you get hurt and opted not to use safety gear you are inelligible for public $$$.
If your choice not to use safety gear causes anyone else trouble, you pay.
Know that your wanton carelessness may cost life or limb of yourself or others.
Carelessly taking anothers life or limb leaves you open criminal and civil action.

OK, so I'm being a bit provocative here... hey, just looking for opinions. Feel free to agree, disagree, or suggest alternatives but tell us why!

 

I'd say that if its optionAL, There better be a opt-out form for the public.

 

I see a couple of problems by making safety equipment optional.
If the person buying the vehicle opted for more bells and whistles than safety equipment, what does that do for his family or children? I know it was his option but consider this, he was stretched buying the vehicle in the first place. Now he has a wreck and the family members are hurt. Who is going to pay for the hospital bills? Me and you, that's who. Now lets say he didn't have a wreck in the vehicle and he trades it in at 75,000 miles. Now who is going to buy the used vehicle and will they be so lucky? Ultimately, it's you and me that would pay for the injuries if the safety equipment were optional. Myself, I prefer to buy a vehicle that has more than just the standard safety equipment. I like side air bags and such but that's me. I have never had an air bag go off or had use for any of the safety equipment but I feel a lot better knowing my chances of survival are better than most. In my opinion, they should make more safety equipment standard on all vehicles. It shouldn't an option for only the upper middle class and above.

 

Thanks for the response Flash. Let's see, so you're saying that there are car buyers out there that care more about chrome mags than wife or daughter? Don't expect me to care more about their family than they do! If the hospital bills cost more than the seatbelts (likely), and you can't afford the bills, trade the chrome for the seatbelts! Seems like you totally missed the part about "no public $$$". If you're shopping for a used car - and you want safety gear, buy a vehicle that has it already, or add it. I agree with you about having safety gear in my vehicle! I just don't think anyone should ever force us to have it or use it.

 

Here's something to consider: ABS makes it easier to control the car in a skid. It doesn't decrease stopping distances, and based on the experience of a number of skilled driver's I've talked to it often INCREASES stopping distance over non-ABS. (I don't have ABS in my truck, so I've never tested this.)

My opinion- gov't mandated safety features are approaching the problem all wrong. (The problem being too many people hurt/killed in car accidents.) Rather than trying to prevent the accidents, they just make them less dangerous. This will not solve anything, in the long run.

As for my own feelings on optional safety features- if I'm going to be the only one riding in the car, I'd gladly scrimp on them; I'm willing to risk MY life. But, if I'm carrying others, the perspective changes. I'm not willing to risk THEIR lives.

 

Alright john112deere, now we're talkin. I had not heard that about ABS. Interesting, and disturbing if true. I'm still undecided but I'm starting to think the the ABS in my 06 Ranger is not as good as other ABS implementations.

Great point about mandated safety over the long term! Keep the bad drivers alive and they'll T-bone you another day. The numbers tell the tale, driving is plain dangerous. So you're the kind that would skip the chrome mags and get the seatbelts for the kids instead- bravo.

 

I am a huge fan of safety equipment, the more the better. I think that all safety equipment should be mandatory because there are more cars on the highway and a higher risk of being in a accident. As for abs, I think it is a great option on a car, wish I would have had it a week ago when my brakes locked up on a slippery road and I had to swerve onto the shoulder to miss a van. I know it was my fault for not paying enough attention while driving but I think everyone has done this once or twice, which is why I think all safety equipment should be mandatory.

 

And how/why do some vehicles (My truck) have ONLY rear ABS? Would'nt it be better to have all 4 and not just the rear 2?

 

My guess is that it is cheaper to manufacture a vehicle with rear wheel abs than having abs on all 4 wheels.

 

Kinda like helmet laws, huh. Most people realise that a brain bucket greatly increases your chances of survival in an accident, but there's still a bunch that refuse to wear one. Same with seat belts. Would you wear one if it wasn't law? Personally, I always wore a helmet whether it was mandatory or not, and I wore my seatbelt before it became a violation to NOT wear one. Personal experience has shown me that both can save your life. I take it you feel the government should mind their own business and let us decide for ourselves what's good for us. That's called anarchy. Theoretically, this form of government was established to decide what is good for the country as a whole. Thus, you have safety mandates and the traffic laws that go along with them. There are plenty of people that DON"T know what's good for them, that's for sure. I agree with lurchy98 100%. JMO.-P.

 

safety fetures can go either way, seatbelts are great they are also the only safety feture on my 82 f100. seatbelts have saved countless lives, but what if you're the one unlucky guy whos car took a dive into the water and now your stuck drowning in the river cause your stuck in your seatbelt.

What if you are a shorter person and get nailed in the head with an airbag, now you're either dead or stuck in a burning car with a broken neck.

In any regular day Im behind the wheel of my 96 f150, my sisters 96 mercury sable, or my moms 93 buick lasabre. everyone of these vehicles has only one air bag in the steering wheel. I feel perfectly safe in any of these vehicles, i dont feel like i need to go get something brand new just for the 20 air bags.


Although the vehicle i feel the most safe in is my old 82. Big no crumble zone metal truck, no abs, and no airbags. this was my first vehicle, i learned how to drive without all the modern safety junk that new cars had.

i learned how to begin my stops earlier in the rain and snow, becouse who knows the truck might not wanna stop. i also learned how to cruise at 60 mph on the highway, with only 3 speeds and a harsh ride theres no point in speeding. i learned over time i could get better mileage by not accelerating like a stock car driver.

the problem with modern safety features are people see them as a reason to not have to worry, their super car will keep them safe.

i can drive fast in the snow i got traction control and abs. i dont have to obey the speedlimit super cars speedometer goes to 140 mph. as long as ive got my radar detector i can be a moron and not have to worry about it. my kids dont wear setbelts in the back seat super car has side curtain airbags so their safe.

super car is so fast i just gun it and fly through yellow lights, bam your dead

no matter how safe new vehicles get their drivers will just get more careless, theres no automotive safety feature that can replace the human brain, to bad so many people dont use theirs.

 

The short answer is yes, it would be better to have 4 wheel abs. The reason for rear wheel abs on pickups is that because of the variability of load on the rear wheels, pickups need abs at least on the rear. If they are not abs then you have to design the rear brakes not to lock up with no load which means the brakes are weak with a heavy load.

 

How about just one piece of safety equipment: A big spike that comes out of your steering column and stabs you through the heart if you run into things. Talk about your drivers paying attention!!

 

My own $.02

Modern safety equipment, crumple zones, seatbelts, airbags, stability control SAVES lives and increases chances of accident survival. BUT, only one element hasn't changed with technology, the car is still being controlled by a human driver, and you have many, many cars on the road, driven by people of all ages and experience. A responsible driver in an old vehicle without seatbelts is much better to have around then a reckless driver in a car equipped with the latest safety features.
I'm for increased amounts of safety equipment in cars, but people need to be well educated about driving in general. Safe cars don't equal safe drivers.

There is no substitute for safe driving. Driving like an old person doesn't make you uncool. Especially when you're driving record is so much better then any reckless buds you have. Also saves you money.

Thanks

 

I like your point about us all being guilty of a momentary lapse of attention. Most recently I found myself attempting to send a text message via cell phone while driving a manual. Bad idea, no consequences this time. Your example is quite relevant to this discussion, thanks.

Is the safety equipment for you, or is it for the "more cars causing greater risk"? If it's for you, it doesn't need to be mandatory, you need only to choose it. So it seems you concern is for others in general, which is commendable, especially because I'm one of them! I too can (and do) choose safety gear. All of us can choose, this is good. Why force anyone? Is it because they suffer from wrong thinking and need to be overruled for thier own good? So they can survive, procreate, and fill the roads with more people prone to poor judgement?

Of course I have some thoughts on helmets, but I'll address that another time. Would I wear seatbelts if not a law? Yes and no I think. I almost always wear a seatbelt. Sometimes only because it's a law, sometimes just for my own safety. Lame but true. A buddy of mine lost his sister tragically to a low speed head on with a silly 2" tree. He's certain the seatbelt killed her, I think there's know way to know for certain. I'm sure seatbelts save more live than they take.

I'm not promoting anarchy at all. I promote liberty. Traffic laws are vital and more so when safety gear is optional.

Awsome post. Very well stated. You da man.

This is a gem.

I agree with a lot if not everything you said. I think you agree about safety gear being optional but I'm not sure.

Thanks all.