If you think of it, the patrolman did you a favor by ticketing you for not wearing a seat belt. Wearing one could save your life, so if it takes police handing out tickets to make people wear seat belts and cut down on traffic deaths.....then it's really a good thing.
Anyway, sorry about your tire. They couldn't plug it? Usually, just putting air in without plugging won't solve the problem as the tire will just go flat again (as yours did), but sometimes a tire can be saved by plugging. And you may know, tires should be bought in pairs (at least, though sets are better) or the car can run into aleignment problems. Did you have it balanced at least? If not, your other tires may wear unevenly too. You may want to check with your mechanic.
The patrolman was not doing her a favor. Wearing a seat belt "could" save your life, but it could also end it. There are far too many biases in the traffic safety debate to actually have an accurate idea. In every accident I have been in, as a passenger each time, the seat belt didn't really influence injury or lack thereof.
HOw can you possibly judge the effect or lack thereof? Did you mimic the same accident twice, once using a seatbelt and once not? Let me ask you this, would you ever drive your children around unbuckled? If not, why would you do it to yourself. And to say that your decision to not wear a seatbelt doesn't affect anyone else is ludicrous. When you are ejected from your car and end up on life support, my tax dollars support your stay in the hospital. All insurance caps out at a certain point, and personall, I have no desire to take care of you since you just couldn't be bothered taking the five seconds to buckle up. Off my soapbox. KSAS
Of course, you're wrong about that. Here, for your edification and englightenment:
"Crash deaths reduced when all wear seat belts
Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist
Use of seat belts by the driver and front row passenger is now common - and even compulsory - in many countries. But many people fail to 'belt up' in the back. They should do so, according to new research from the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, Seattle.
They looked at data from US traffic crashes occurring between 1988 and 2000. This was analyzed according to seat belt usage by all occupants. They found that for a belted front seat occupant, the risk of death in a crash went up 20 per cent if someone behind them was not wearing a belt. Similarly, for a rear seat occupant wearing a belt, the risk of death increased 22 per cent if someone in front of them was unrestrained. And for a belted person on one side of the care, the risk of death was increased by 15 per cent if an occupant on the same seat row was unrestrained. The message is clear - belting up all round could avoid perhaps one in six deaths in road traffic accidents."
Source
Journal of the American Medical Association 21st January 2004 Volume 291 pages 343-349
Obviously the Michigan HP doesn't agree with you on that. It's irresponsible for ANY driver not to wear a seatbelt and to make sure everyone in the vehicle is belted in. If the states ALL had a law allowing motorists to be stopped by officers for driving without seat belts, hundreds of lives and billions of dollars would be saved, according to the AAA Clubs. It's good that you were ticketed for not complying with the laws of your state, but it's disheartening to hear about anyone crying herself out of tickets. The Michigan HP should be made of sterner stuff, and maybe if drivers there get summarily ticketed (with no tear-jerk reprieve) for driving unbelted, the state coffers will be filled with fools gold (the money of folks who are ticketed)and some of the potholes can be repaired with it....for everybody else! There's no excuse for not wearing seatbelts and anyone so foolish as to leave the driveway without buckling up deserves to lose their license anyway.
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hopefully it doesn't raise your insurance up
Anyway, sorry about your tire. They couldn't plug it? Usually, just putting air in without plugging won't solve the problem as the tire will just go flat again (as yours did), but sometimes a tire can be saved by plugging. And you may know, tires should be bought in pairs (at least, though sets are better) or the car can run into aleignment problems. Did you have it balanced at least? If not, your other tires may wear unevenly too. You may want to check with your mechanic.
Good luck with the rest of your week.
Truthfully, it is her choice to wear one or not.
Well, didn't this just turn into a debate lol?
"Crash deaths reduced when all wear seat belts
Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist
Use of seat belts by the driver and front row passenger is now common - and even compulsory - in many countries. But many people fail to 'belt up' in the back. They should do so, according to new research from the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, Seattle.
They looked at data from US traffic crashes occurring between 1988 and 2000. This was analyzed according to seat belt usage by all occupants. They found that for a belted front seat occupant, the risk of death in a crash went up 20 per cent if someone behind them was not wearing a belt. Similarly, for a rear seat occupant wearing a belt, the risk of death increased 22 per cent if someone in front of them was unrestrained. And for a belted person on one side of the care, the risk of death was increased by 15 per cent if an occupant on the same seat row was unrestrained. The message is clear - belting up all round could avoid perhaps one in six deaths in road traffic accidents."
Source
Journal of the American Medical Association 21st January 2004 Volume 291 pages 343-349
I DARE YOU
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