<VV> Corvairs and Belts

[Vairtec Corporation]

Tom Berg wrote:

> People injured in accidents while failing to wear belts or helmets should pay
> their own medical bills, directly or through insurance. Some exercise their
> "freedom" to not buy insurance, and in most cases we, the insured, pick up their
> bills. That's one good reason for mandatory belt and helmet laws. The other, of
> course, is to reduce injuries and deaths.
>
> Corvair content: Our '64 Monza convertible came with front lap belts, and I
> installed them in the rear so we could haul people a little more safely. I've
> not anguished over installing lap-and-shoulder belts, though. We don't use the
> car often enough to make 'em worthwhile.

So if you are injured in an accident while driving the Corvair, you 
should pay what portion of of your own medical bills?

Okay, I admit that's a cheap shot.  But, how many accidents must one 
have before installing additional safety equipment becomes worthwhile?

I agree very much with the sentiment that Tom expressed, that mandatory 
seat belt and helmet laws serve to protect not only the user but also 
the general public as a whole due to the cost savings arising from 
reduced injuries.  And I further express it as, if you are going to use 
the public roads, where we the public are paying for emergency services 
and accident scene clean-up, then we the public have a right to say what 
precautions you must exercise.

But at the same time I recognize that it is not a simple thing to bring 
our old cars up to contemporary safety standards.  I can put 
lap-and-shoulder belts in my '64 coupe, but it will still have the 
spear-through-your-heart one-piece steering column.  So I could put a 
street-rodder's aftermarket collapsible steering column in the car, but 
it will still have no side-impact protection.  I could then build a 
NASCAR cage...

Where does the risk-cost analysis reach a balance?  For many of us and 
our old Corvairs, the balance point is located at the installation and 
use of lap belts.  I'm okay with that, and I'm okay with the law telling 
us that we must wear those belts.

--Bob Marlow