PO'd at police

[niemeyjt]

This is one of the most intelligent points I have ever heard made regarding seat belts and seat belt laws!!

I think seat belts are a good idea, but do not and have not ever worn them (paid the fine 3 times to date in various states). But, I totally disagree with seat belt laws (and helmet laws). I would happily pay for the higher insurance as mentioned above, for the privilege of not wearing a seat belt.

Good point! People want freedoms, but don't want to pay and / or don't want to be responsible for their actions.

One of the arguments we are given as to how good our NHS is (it isn't, but that is another story) is that you are treated irrespective of ability to pay and you do not get ambulance drivers checking out your insurance after an accident before taking you to hospital.

Somehow, I guess the latter is an exageration, but I guess that would be the logical result of the above - "yes, this guy has no-seat belt insurance, take him to hospital" - or "this guy wasn't wearing a belt and he only has seat belt wearing insurance - leave him". Not a nice choice for the paramedics.

J

 

[tallyho8]

I have never been in a wreck where I was at fault and the other party was injured but I have always worried that someday I might not pay attention for one second and this could occur.

What would be a real tragedy would be if it was a minor accident but the other driver was not wearing a seat belt and got ejected from the car and killed when he would not have even been injured with the seat belt on.

Besides the tragedy of him being killed, I could spend a long time in prison for negligent homicide and lose everything I own and have worked for my whole life.

This would be MY fault for causing the wreck but two tragedies could have been averted by the driver wearing a seat belt. It isn't just the one not wearing the seat belt who suffers.

 

[dmccarty]

Officers ALWAYS have discretion about filing a charge. That is a fact.

No, it is not fact. There are laws on the book that REQUIRE an officer to make an arrest. The chain of command can also tell officers what they can and cannot do. Finally the officer can decide, which is discretion, to always write a citation. Why would an officer do this? If the officer ALWAYS writes a citation for every stop it minimizes accusations of favoritism or worse "profiling".

Later,
Dan

 

[/pine]

It's typical that when it comes to any authorities (at any level) left hands usually don't have a clue what the right hands are doing...

In FL...if you do not have insurance on a licensed vehicle they automatically suspend your driver's lic. without any notification what so ever...this is so even if the vehicle is not being driven on the road i.e., being restored etc...if it has a valid tag and it's not insured your lic. is suspended...

The funny thing is...the cops know from your Lic data (or can find out) that it was suspended for lack of insurance on a particular vehicle...yet they say they can't tell if you have insurance on the vehicle they pull over in...

 

[Chuck52]

So if someone chooses to not wear a seat belt, and gets all mangled up, and chooses not to buy insurance, we should just let them lay in the ditch, right? We should let their mangled kids lay there, too, right?

Sheesh. Americans do not let people lay in the ditch, no matter how stupid their poor choices are. We pick them up and take care of them, even though they are stupid and make poor choices. So we do make laws that try to protect the majority of us from stupid peoples' poor choices, even if it "infringes" on their god given right to be stupid and make poor choices.

And while the Darwin awards are amusing, they don't have any cash value that could be used to compensate the caregivers.

Chuck

 

[Mousefield]

And while the Darwin awards are amusing, they don't have any cash value that could be used to compensate the caregivers.

Chuck

Excellent. :2cents:

 

[dave1949]

I have never been in a wreck where I was at fault and the other party was injured but I have always worried that someday I might not pay attention for one second and this could occur.

What would be a real tragedy would be if it was a minor accident but the other driver was not wearing a seat belt and got ejected from the car and killed when he would not have even been injured with the seat belt on.

Besides the tragedy of him being killed, I could spend a long time in prison for negligent homicide and lose everything I own and have worked for my whole life.

This would be MY fault for causing the wreck but two tragedies could have been averted by the driver wearing a seat belt. It isn't just the one not wearing the seat belt who suffers.

That is a powerful argument based upon reality.
Dave.

 

[om21braz]

The funny thing is...the cops know from your Lic data (or can find out) that it was suspended for lack of insurance on a particular vehicle...yet they say they can't tell if you have insurance on the vehicle they pull over in...

+1 Quite a few folks would like to hear the Dept. of Motor Vehicles explanation of that LOL.

 

[mmurphy]

It's typical that when it comes to any authorities (at any level) left hands usually don't have a clue what the right hands are doing...

In FL...if you do not have insurance on a licensed vehicle they automatically suspend your driver's lic. without any notification what so ever...this is so even if the vehicle is not being driven on the road i.e., being restored etc...if it has a valid tag and it's not insured your lic. is suspended...

The funny thing is...the cops know from your Lic data (or can find out) that it was suspended for lack of insurance on a particular vehicle...yet they say they can't tell if you have insurance on the vehicle they pull over in...

L.O.L.. I agree! You have to have an I.D. to prove who you are. Do something wrong and they will prove who you are...

I see 100% HP is not saying he had no part of it. The cop needed brownie points!
Thanks HP, I put my insurance card in my vehicles!!!

 

[mbrule]

So if someone chooses to not wear a seat belt, and gets all mangled up, and chooses not to buy insurance, we should just let them lay in the ditch, right? We should let their mangled kids lay there, too, right?

Sheesh. Americans do not let people lay in the ditch, no matter how stupid their poor choices are. We pick them up and take care of them, even though they are stupid and make poor choices. So we do make laws that try to protect the majority of us from stupid peoples' poor choices, even if it "infringes" on their god given right to be stupid and make poor choices.

I see your point. I also DO NOT have a problem with seat belt laws for children, requiring parents to protect their kids probably makes sense.

I am not sure that not buying insurance is a viable option, but paying a premium might work.