Posted on 10/28/2007 6:01:06 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
Exactly. This article should be news to no one.
It isn't rocket science, and it isn't surprising, hidden, or the fault of the booster seat.
It is the fault of the dummy who left unsecured stuff in his car and the reporter who wrote the article mean to alarm rather than inform.
"Keep your car clean" is the lesson to walk away with, not "avoid booster seats".
Any first year physics student will tell you that there is no such thing as “deceleration”. There is only “acceleration” in any direction. Deceleration is like “ungravity”. No such animal.
F= 1/2 MV^2 is a square-law function of velocity.
Not exactly, a square law is not exponential, but my point was more that saying a force is exponentially greater than its weight doesn’t really compute in any kind of way. Force could be an exponential _function_ of weight (which it’s not, it’s a parabolic f’n of speed), but the way the author wrote it obscures even that intended meaning.
The reporter did get one thing right, that weight is a type of force.
Generally, no one confused reporters with being science-hard people...
And I’m a fool for writing a force=energy equation without thinking about it.
Kids need to sit in the back seat...
I know that seatbelts can't guarantee survival in auto collisions. But every time I read about teens or young adults killed in auto accidents, almost always they weren't wearing seatbelts and were thrown from the vehicle. Of course many times they were crushed by the vehicle they were a passenger in.
I seem to remember a box of kleenex as not being real dangerous, but a few grocery items (bottles of ketchup? etc.) as being very dangerous. Obviously the more weight the more danger.
Not the fault of the nanny state. The fault of the ninny who somehow didn’t realize that ANY unsecured object is dangerous.
A seatbelt can injure you, but I ALWAYS use mine.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Sorta like being a Democrat vs. Republican and getting caught with your grubbies in the cookie jar...
I’ve thought about that because I’m petite (5’3” and 108 pounds). My friend’s minivan has a passenger side airbag that turns off when I’m in the seat. Doesn’t make me feel too safe.
My car...Subaru Forester...has a sensor that turns the passenger airbag off 65 pounds and under. I guess because of the height/weight of a young child the force of the bag can be fatal.
Makes me wonder about my own safety!
And yes here in Wisconsin they will list whether the crash victims were wearing seatbelts or not. But getting thrown from a vehicle is far more dangerous than being strapped in. Especially if passengers are riding in suvs or other large vehicles.
LOL! My parents carted us around in those tin-can Volkswagon Beetles. We used to put the baby in that far back cubbie-hole right above the engine block. It was nice and warm there, and since we were never rear-ended, that “baby” is now 45 years old. :)
We rode our bikes, rollerskated, skateboarded, etc. without the least hit of helmets and padding.
My folks smoked like fiends around us kids. We ate a lot of red meat and lard. I had a slingshot and an air rifle and a pocket knife.
Go figure.
My wife is 5'0" and about 100 (so small that I sometimes can't locate her at 2AM on the queensized bed :)
Anyway I read some more material starting at Wikipedia and found that (a) the number of all deaths/injuries from this situation (even counting children) seems to be quite miniscule, like less than 100 annually (it might have been several year period, don;t recall); (b) so long as the seatbelt naturally positions on the hips/pelvis, across the ribcage, and the person is sitting with back against the seat with knees naturally bent at the front edge of the seat, it seems to be OK. Also face should be minimum of 10 inches from airbag deployment compartment on dash (for driver as well).
I'll double-check next time she's in the car, but I think wifey is safe.
She’s fortunate to have such a caring hubby! ;-)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.