Re: Any helmet laws successfully overturned?

06-26-2003, 06:09 PM

"Michael Malak" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:83912443.0306261553.1ba4a090@posting.google.c om...

> If every U.S. jurisdiction had a juvenile helmet law, only 137
> lives would be saved. 687 * 0.29 * (2/3) = 137
> [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>

There would probably be many more lives saved by introducing greater
physical activity to our population of overweight under-exercised children.

How many childrens lives would be saved if there were mandatory helmet laws
for riding in cars?

How many childrens lives would be saved if all speed limits were lowered by
10 mph?
At the same time how much longer would the average motor vehicle trip then
take?

How many childrens lives would be saved here and now and also in
generations to come all over the world if we exchanged our system of
personal combustion engine transportation with mass transportation?

How many children under 21 will be killed directly and indirectly in oil
inspired wars over the next 50 years if our consumption levels aren't
radically reduced?

06-26-2003, 07:02 PM

> How many childrens lives would be saved if there were mandatory helmet laws
> for riding in cars?

Trying to redirect the flame war here....

The risk from being in a car is of a similar magnitude to the risk from
being on a bike. How about a push for manditory helmet laws in cars?
Perhaps that would discourage car use, as similar laws discourage bike
use.

Peter

06-27-2003, 05:16 AM

On Thu, 26 Jun 2003 19:09:20 -0700, "one of the six billion"
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>How many childrens lives would be saved if all speed limits were lowered by
>10 mph?

Accident rates would go up, not down.

Jasper

06-27-2003, 06:21 AM

"Peter Gardner" <ude.dmu.maw@ragnp.written.backwards> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].umd.edu...
> > How many childrens lives would be saved if there were mandatory helmet
laws
> > for riding in cars?
>
> Trying to redirect the flame war here....
>
>
> The risk from being in a car is of a similar magnitude to the risk from
> being on a bike. How about a push for manditory helmet laws in cars?
> Perhaps that would discourage car use, as similar laws discourage bike
> use.

The helmet laws don't discourage cycling because people don't want to wear
helmets. They discourage cycling because they increase the perception of
cycling as being inherently dangerous.

There are already mandatory seat-belt and air-bag laws for cars, and their
existence doesn't seem to discourage driving. People's capacity for
self-delusion should never be underestimated; they will choose their desired
result (I want to drive, I don't want to cycle) and then choose whatever
evidence supports it and ignore the rest.

RichC

06-27-2003, 06:42 AM

In article <bdg90i$t3147$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].dfncis.de>,
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] says...
>
> "Michael Malak" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
> news:83912443.0306261553.1ba4a090@posting.google.c om...
>
> > If every U.S. jurisdiction had a juvenile helmet law, only 137
> > lives would be saved. 687 * 0.29 * (2/3) = 137
> > [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
> >
>
> There would probably be many more lives saved by introducing greater
> physical activity to our population of overweight under-exercised children.
>
> How many childrens lives would be saved if there were mandatory helmet laws
> for riding in cars?
>
> How many childrens lives would be saved if all speed limits were lowered by
> 10 mph?
> At the same time how much longer would the average motor vehicle trip then
> take?
>
> How many childrens lives would be saved here and now and also in
> generations to come all over the world if we exchanged our system of
> personal combustion engine transportation with mass transportation?
>
> How many children under 21 will be killed directly and indirectly in oil
> inspired wars over the next 50 years if our consumption levels aren't
> radically reduced?
>

How many lives would be saved if the automakers didn't have the money to
buy off the law makers?
--
_________________________
Chris Phillipo - Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

06-28-2003, 04:15 AM

On Fri, 27 Jun 2003 13:16:39 GMT, Jasper Janssen <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
wrote:

>>How many childrens lives would be saved if all speed limits were lowered by
>>10 mph?

>Accident rates would go up, not down.

Unless you believe the research evidence, of course. Injury and
fatality rates would still fall even if accident rates rose, though.

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
Advance notice: ADSL service in process of transfer to a new ISP.
Obviously there will be a week of downtime between the engineer
removing the BT service and the same engineer connecting the same
equipment on the same line in the same exchange and billing it to
the new ISP.

06-28-2003, 04:16 AM

"Rich Clark" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:TqYKa.100$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].verio.net...
>

>> ... they will choose their desired
result (I want to drive, I don't want to cycle) and then choose whatever
evidence supports it and ignore the rest. <<

Bingo!

That simply and distinctly describes the entire helmet-law issue (as well as
many other life issues).