Curiosity gives cause to the question...., How may ways are there of looking at "dead?"
Todd Swearingen ----- Original Message ----- From: "murdoch" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <biofuel@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Saturday, April 26, 2003 12:42 PM Subject: Re: [biofuel] 42,850 Traffic Deaths in 2002 > Andrew: > > I am replying to this second-hand because of a messup with my email > program. > > >>1 death per 6546 in the USA > >> Vs > >>1 death per 11304 in Australia > >> > >>This means that you are nearly twice as likely to die on the roads in > >>the US as you are in Australia. > > By one way of looking at things. Other ways are to look at the type > of driving, or deaths per person-mile traveled, etc. > > >Why is this so? The answer can > >>plainly be seen when you take into account the fact that Australia > >>has compulsory seat-belt and motorcycle helmet laws and random > >>breath testing with a limit, in most state of 0.05. > > So far as I'm aware the U.S. states generally have compulsory > seat-belt and motorcycle helmet laws and various testing programs for > alcohol including, for example, check-points set up during high-death > holiday times. These have been in place for quite some time now. > Compulsory seat-belt laws came into play when I was a kid, 20 or 30 > years ago. There may of course be difference in the laws, but I think > you've got a somewhat different view of the laws here. > > >> I am constantly amazed that some Americans claim that it > >>"violates their constitutional rights" if legislation is brought in that > >>enforces seat-belts/helmets and allows random breath testing. Using > >>the above figures, it could be argued that nearly half of the people > >>killed on US roads could be EASILY saved. > > I agree with the view that some Americans have sometimed had a > somewhat warped view of their freedoms as they apply to driving > enforcement laws. For example, I do not think anyone has the right to > drive drunk, that it's a stunning act of bad faith and disrespect for > one's fellow man, and that it has become clear that the police are > within their rights to watch out for drunk drivers, including > check-points, given the shocking number who still do. > > > > >> To take it a step further, there is a large financial cost > >>associated with a person dying in a vehicle crash, but there is a > >>much larger cost associated with those people who survive the crash > >>but suffer some form if incapacitation, or even a long rehabilitation > >>period. If a person is permanently injured in a car crash and in turn > >>needs life long care, then the costs are huge. I would guess that it > >>would cost at least $50,000 per year to look after said injured person > >>and if they happen to live for 40 years in this state, that's $2M > >>straight away. Also it is worth remembering that for every death on > >>the roads, there are a lot of accidents which are severe, resulting is > >>no deaths but long term injury. > > Interesting points. One of the reasons I posted the article. I think > these matters are swept under the rug by our system of sort of not > discussing the negative aspects of driving. > > > >> So where does that leave us? Australia has a death rate on > >>the roads that is constantly, except for a one year "blip". trending > >>down whilst from my reading of the article, seems to be trending up. > >>Isn't it time that the US took some action on these simple to > >>introduce measures and stopped both the carnage and cost instead > >>of waiting for "Robby the Robot" to drive them around ? > >> > >> Regards, > >> Andrew > > The U.S. has taken most of the measures you suggest, if I'm not > mistaken. Also, you have misrepresented and even perhaps grossly > misrepresented my call for greater vehicle safety. > > > > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > Biofuels list archives: > http://archive.nnytech.net/ > > Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. > To unsubscribe, send an email to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Get A Free Psychic Reading! Your Online Answer To Life's Important Questions. http://us.click.yahoo.com/O10svD/Me7FAA/AG3JAA/FGYolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
