Would people drive more safely if?

Question

We removed the airbags, seatbelts and crumple zones, and put a sharp pointed stick in the middle of the steering wheel.
An extreme example I admit, but do you agree in principle?

Answer 1

Great !!!!!

I really think it could be a good idea, but unfortunately, to much people seems or are not really concerned by security, for us and also for the others.....

Most of people think : an accident ? It won't happen to me !!!

And that's the problem !!!

Answer 2

No - The only way to make them slow down is to make them older and more mature.

I can remember when I was in my late teens/early twenties, driving like a nutter all over the place, with no air bags, no ABS, no saftety devices to speak of other than a seatbelt. I didn't think about what would happen if I crashed. You don't at that age.

But as you get older you start to think about "What If?" and you buy your next car with an airbag and ABS, and then you slow down a bit.

Its all about maturity and nothing to do with safety devices.

I still speed, but only when I feel it is safe to do so. I'm a much safer driver than I used to be. How I survived is anybody's guess!

Answer 3

No, I don't think they'd drive more safely because I was around before seatbelts were required, and when the laws went into effect, it certainly didn't change my driving habits, and it didn't seem to affect others around me. We also didn't have airbags.

Oh, when my son was small, we didn't even have to put babies in a carseat! I remember my MIL told me that she put my BIL in a beer box and put it in the floorboard!

I think the problem is a combination of inexperience and the mentality that "it will never happen to me." And if you look at the people who have the most accidents (males 16-25y/o), you may surmise that only experience and maturity will actually make people drive safer--not the gear, or lack thereof, on our autos.

Answer 4

It might work for a few weeks, but then people would become complacent.

However, it might work in a different way - the less careful drivers would get speared by their sharp pointed sticks, killing them off, and leaving only the more careful drivers alive.

I'll await the first product liability court case where a car has continued to move after its driver has been killed by the sharp pointed stick, causing further damage to passengers and/or other third parties.

Answer 5

no it wouldn't stop bad driving by idiots because THEY ARE IDIOTS with no concern for anyone but themselves, what we should do is put more fines on instances of bad driving, hit the pockets of anyone not driving the way they did during their driving test - if they have passed the test they know how to drive properly also people should be retested if they are caught for any act of bad driving again make them pay if you have forgotten the correct way to drive take the license away until they can prove they can drive correctly, yes accidents can happen but lots of them are caused by inconsiderate driving, tailgating, using mobiles, pda's not checking mirrors speeding on roundabouts the list goes on, if someone knows they are going to lose their licence for a first offence and not get it back for a while they are going to be more careful and a term in prison anyone caught driving a without a licence make it a CRIMINAL issue since they are breaking the law driving unsafely or they wouldn't of been stopped

Answer 6

if you were the type of person to always drive in an upright position, i would see it to be a functional extreme idea, but i have seen some of the worse driving out there from people who drive 1/2 way out the window, or with their head slumped to one side while holding the steering wheel with one arm.... should we then get rid of the side mirrors and replace it with a sharp pointy object? hehe

Answer 7

Good question, I agree in principle. I think people need more manners on the road and be in less of a hurry to get where they are going.
We should invest in some more race tracks for those who like driving fast.

Answer 8

I was at the racetrack(medical cover)for the launch of a new car.at lunch time one of the drivers took us for a spin approx 120mph it was good,when we returned to the pits he took great pleasure in telling us about abs,wheel sensors,how many airbags,auto fuel cut off,we mentioned that didn't he think it was wrong make drivers feel indestructible,his flippant answer was what i think Colt said about firearms,"hell we only make em we don't fire them".I think a little danger makes us better drivers.

Answer 9

no People would just remove the stick some way and drive like they did in the 40's and 50's sort of care full and yet speeding just the same.

Answer 10

Genius