Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site kobold.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!whuxle!mit-eddie!genrad!grkermit!masscomp!kobold!tjt From: tjt@kobold.UUCP Newsgroups: net.auto Subject: Re: mandatory seatbelt laws Message-ID: <270@kobold.UUCP> Date: Thu, 2-Feb-84 12:23:10 EST Article-I.D.: kobold.270 Posted: Thu Feb 2 12:23:10 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 8-Feb-84 07:42:25 EST References: <800@qubix.UUCP> <823@hao.UUCP> Organization: Masscomp, Westford, MA Lines: 38 Greg Woods (hao!woods) asks (in net.followup -- I'll reply here): How does the insurance company get to determine that the injured driver (in a serious accident, of course) was not wearing a seatbelt? Would you trust this judgment to *your* insurance company? I sure wouldn't! One possibility: people here have previously stated that seatbelts won't prevent *all* injuries. In fact, if you were wearing seatbelts, and the accident was severe enough to cause you serious injuries, I would expect to see some characteristic injuries. e.g. bruises and abrasions where the seatbelt cut into your lap and chest. I'm not sure how you would determine if you were wearing seatbelts in a less severe accident (i.e. no injury from the seatbelt itself), although I would also expect that most of these accidents would result in little or no injury anyway if you were wearing your seatbelt so you wouldn't have an insurance claim (at least, not for personal injury -- property damage to your car is another matter). If you want a more objective test, I'm sure that something could be built into the seatbelt mechanism itself to record peak stress. I'm not sure what the likelihood for fraud would be here. Presumably it would be too difficult and expensive to crash your car once with a dummy inside it in order to "pre-stress" the seatbelt and then not wear it. I think that there is already perceptible damage to a typical inertia/retractor seatbelt mechanism in a serious collision since I vaguely recall some notice in some new car book that advised inspecting or replacing the seatbelts after any serious collision. Note: I have not been personally involved in a serious accident, with or without a seatbelt. If you *have*, feel free to confirm or deny any of this. -- Tom Teixeira, Massachusetts Computer Corporation. Westford MA ...!{ihnp4,harpo,decvax}!masscomp!tjt (617) 692-6200 x275