In the middle of the last century, an aerospace engineer working for Volvo developed the modern, three-point seat belt. Yet even today the safety device’s benefits are not clear-cut, William Ecenbarger http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Presence-of-Mind-Buckle-Up-And-Behave.html writes in Smithsonian magazine. That’s because of people’s tendency toward “risk compensation” — actively taking more risks because they feel more secure.
Good Lord, I wrote about this back in nineteen eighty-something when Texas was debating a mandatory seat-belt law. It was obvious to me back then that drivers wearing seat belts were driving faster, weaving through traffic more, tailgating, and challenging yellow lights more than their unbelted counterparts.
Does anyone (beside me) remember the “Baby on Board” signs that were so popular about that time? Coincidence? Or reaction?
Glenn Reynolds has thoughts as well.
What happened to common sense? Oh, never mind.
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