Posted by JimmieD on Sunday, December 05, 2004 at 9:29AM :
In Reply to: Re: Tragic posted by Gordon Maney on Saturday, December 04, 2004 at 6:05PM :
I've listened quietly here, but now I'm compelled to respond. I think some of this thinking might miss the point of seatbelt laws.
When an accident occurs emergency teams respond. Their mission is to save lives and mitigate pain. Thank God for all those who have dedicated their lives to such an honorable and often thankless work!
When they get to the scene every person inured under whatever circumstances will get the same [highest possible] level of treatment with no questions asked. They don't pick through your pockets and wallet to see what Insurance you have, or what your personal beliefs are, or whether you have a wife or family. They are Emergency Responders, and RESPOND they do!
The ambulance transports after a person is stabilized as much as possible. During that transport there is an inherent danger to other persons in traffic on the journey. In many cases in the rural areas I and others frequent, a helicopter is necessary, adding considerable to the dangers for the responders.
Once at the hospital it is no questions asked, clear the decks, FULL TILT BOOGIE TO SAVE THIS PERSON AT ANY COST!!!
Whatever specialists, machines, treatments or further transport are needed, it is done and without question: NOW!! For a time there are up to several dozens of people dedicating their lives to save or preserve or maintain the life of the injured.
These responders have lives and wives and kiddies too. They have to make the mortgage payments, car payments and kid's dental payments just like everybody else. Medical treatment, especially emergency, is therefore very expensive, as it uses vast resources to accomplish its ends. The persons who treat have a right to be paid for their services as well.
So, a person decides they don't like seatbelts, and gets in an accident, and ends up being a $300,000 liability to everybody else involved, not counting the horrors inflicted on their own family and loved ones and unknown others. They unknowingly endanger the lives of others while emergengy responder seek to save them. It is all about being personally accountable and responsible to our fellow man. That is, are we?
These laws came about because the people involved in treatment, including insurance companies and welfare agencies that end up footing the bill, got tired of people's immature and irrational outlook on personal freedoms which was directly responsible for driving treatment costs through the roof.
These laws are in place because 99% of the time, lives and limbs are saved, catastrophic injury is prevented, and the whole of the lives of all of the OTHER PEOPLE INVOLVED are made immeasurably more liveable if people would act responsibly, towards others, and be accountable for their own actions, and wear their seatbelt.
I don't directly attack anyone here in any way: but it must be seen as far more than a casual personal preference in regard to seatbelts, as it adds up to possibly billions of dollars and millions of other lives involved and far too much unneccessary grief! Please, wear your seatbelt.....
JimmieD
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