first of all, good data. here in VA, they even limit the teen with nighttime hours as well. they see the judge before they get the final clearance for full fledge license.
as a parent, i do limit my child with only 1 person in the car w/her. they are correct that distractions are so much and they don’t look enough. i go far as to tell my daughter, no text or cell phone usage while driving the car. if you have to, pull over and then use it!
The simple truth is that some elements of society have allowed the importance and focus on driving an automobile to deteriorate. For some people it’s all about them and to hell with worrying about who they might injure or kill. They want to drive fast, not use a seatbelt, play with mindless text messages, talk on the cell phone, put make-up on, read, eat.
Since reasonable efforts don’t seem to work, perhaps it’s time for something more draconian. Cars should be designed not to start unless occupants in the front seat are belted. In addition, the engine should not operate if the belts are dis-engaged after the car is started. Belt not secured ….. car won’t operate. We have to stop playing games with people who will never change. It’s a waste of time, effort, and resources.
that is the best idea I’ve heard in a while; I am sure the insurance industry, MADD and many other groups would support that proposal. I have no problem with wearing a seatbelt but coupling the belt with the ignition and operation of the motor would make it impossible for idiots to do the wrong thing!
Industry has tried the same with with forklifts and people do just what wudchuck asked after – they buckle the belt behind the back of the seat or they sit on it to fool the system. No matter what you so somebody will figure out a way around it. That’s not saying that tying the seatbelts to an interlock is not a worthwhile idea, just that it’s been tried before and doesn’t work with the people who don’t want to wear seatbelts.
The only thing I can think of right now involves a lot of sensers installed in the seats to determine mass and how much seatbelt should be played out for a given mass. Too complicated and I’m sure somebody would defeat it.
Parents have to teach the habit at a young age and have to follow it too.
However, I know from experience, that you can teach a teen what is best, but that does not mean that they will do it. Driving is a privilege and you have to be prepared to take that privilege away when it is abused.
ur are so correct, it is a priviledge. NOT A RIGHT!
i have problems when the courts reduce drunk driving or habitual offender repeatedly gets a reduced charge or gets off. i know that in one state, they can have as many duis as they want, and still have insurance! of course, because the money is going to be the states money. (This happens to be in NC.)
we just need to have a law enforcement and the court system to finally stand up and state the facts and hold the drivers accountable. if they don’t wear a seatbelt in the crash, allow the industry to reduce the medical payment because they could have prevented some of the physical damage to their bodies. they do this overseas.
Once again, I only allow my daughter one person in the car at a time. Which is fine with her, seeing that she spends most of her time on the back seat anyway:)
Mike, let’s go with every sensor but that last one.
wudchuck – you’ve got a great sense of humor. I don’t know too many parents that could make that joke. Fantastic!
Ultimately it comes down to personal responsibility. There’s nothing in modern technology that would safely take care of the problem that could not easily be defeated. The answer lies in cars that drive themselves and/or eliminating private transportation altogether. Since I’m not really for either of those I guess I get to wait for people smarter than I to generate a solution.
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first of all, good data. here in VA, they even limit the teen with nighttime hours as well. they see the judge before they get the final clearance for full fledge license.
as a parent, i do limit my child with only 1 person in the car w/her. they are correct that distractions are so much and they don’t look enough. i go far as to tell my daughter, no text or cell phone usage while driving the car. if you have to, pull over and then use it!
The simple truth is that some elements of society have allowed the importance and focus on driving an automobile to deteriorate. For some people it’s all about them and to hell with worrying about who they might injure or kill. They want to drive fast, not use a seatbelt, play with mindless text messages, talk on the cell phone, put make-up on, read, eat.
Since reasonable efforts don’t seem to work, perhaps it’s time for something more draconian. Cars should be designed not to start unless occupants in the front seat are belted. In addition, the engine should not operate if the belts are dis-engaged after the car is started. Belt not secured ….. car won’t operate. We have to stop playing games with people who will never change. It’s a waste of time, effort, and resources.
that is the best idea I’ve heard in a while; I am sure the insurance industry, MADD and many other groups would support that proposal. I have no problem with wearing a seatbelt but coupling the belt with the ignition and operation of the motor would make it impossible for idiots to do the wrong thing!
even if we had that it would go off if the seatbelt is removed. would the car give a warning, that w/in 1 minute this car will disengage and shutdown.
but i have seen individuals fool the police, by buckling and then sitting on the belt. what is there to prevent that?
Industry has tried the same with with forklifts and people do just what wudchuck asked after – they buckle the belt behind the back of the seat or they sit on it to fool the system. No matter what you so somebody will figure out a way around it. That’s not saying that tying the seatbelts to an interlock is not a worthwhile idea, just that it’s been tried before and doesn’t work with the people who don’t want to wear seatbelts.
The only thing I can think of right now involves a lot of sensers installed in the seats to determine mass and how much seatbelt should be played out for a given mass. Too complicated and I’m sure somebody would defeat it.
Parents have to teach the habit at a young age and have to follow it too.
However, I know from experience, that you can teach a teen what is best, but that does not mean that they will do it. Driving is a privilege and you have to be prepared to take that privilege away when it is abused.
ur are so correct, it is a priviledge. NOT A RIGHT!
i have problems when the courts reduce drunk driving or habitual offender repeatedly gets a reduced charge or gets off. i know that in one state, they can have as many duis as they want, and still have insurance! of course, because the money is going to be the states money. (This happens to be in NC.)
we just need to have a law enforcement and the court system to finally stand up and state the facts and hold the drivers accountable. if they don’t wear a seatbelt in the crash, allow the industry to reduce the medical payment because they could have prevented some of the physical damage to their bodies. they do this overseas.
Once again, I only allow my daughter one person in the car at a time. Which is fine with her, seeing that she spends most of her time on the back seat anyway:)
I hope the guys she hangs out with “buckle up”
Yea, maybe there should be a sensor that shuts the car down in the middle of the highway at 70 MPH when someone unbuckles the seatbelt.
And maybe there should be retina sensors to make people keep their eyes on the road. And another sensor that shuts down all electronic equipment.
And another sensor that prevents you from eating.
And another sonsor that prevents you from talking to the person next to you.
And another sensor that doenst let you look at wudcucks daughter as shes flashing you as she speeds by.
Mike, let’s go with every sensor but that last one.
wudchuck – you’ve got a great sense of humor. I don’t know too many parents that could make that joke. Fantastic!
Ultimately it comes down to personal responsibility. There’s nothing in modern technology that would safely take care of the problem that could not easily be defeated. The answer lies in cars that drive themselves and/or eliminating private transportation altogether. Since I’m not really for either of those I guess I get to wait for people smarter than I to generate a solution.