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Does the word GREED ring a bell??? -----Original Message----- From: KEn Becker <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Date: Sunday, February 13, 2000 8:19 PM Subject: Re: Non-PD: Re: Attack of the SLEEP ATTACK >This is a serious question to ponder: With all the space-age technology >available, and automobiles being produced about a hundred years, why don't we >have cars with auto-pilot features to take over when the driver has lost >control, for whatever reason, whether a sleep attack, or even a heart attack? >AND, I might add, why aren't cars built to withstand collisions with the >normal inhabitants of the roadway, including other cars, trucks, power poles, >trees, etc? They make them smart enough to call an ambulance or a wrecker, >why not use the technology to AVOID collisions, and survive the unavoidable? >Why is equipment made available that could save lives, and then made an >option for extra money? Some examples: side airbags, anti-lock braking >systems, daytime running lamps, roll bars, SAFE tires, especially tires that >can run after a puncture. Adjustable pedals and seats to suit all size >drivers. Real bumpers, not styrofoam filled, plastic covered, appendages that >crumble from a parking lot bump? a frame that keeps the car from folding the >occupants inside between sharp broken parts, requiring the "Jaws of Life" to >extricate them? Cars now cost what homes once did in the USA, so the expense >is not a good enough excuse, and insurance premiums could be reduced if there >were fewer injuries and deaths. So maybe when we take the blame for a >momentary lapse as a driver, we should shift the blame to the makers of the >vehicles? Isn't it obvious that people who can't afford the more expensive >cars with all the safety features, don't deserve to be maimed or killed for >the sake of economy? Police cars are usually heavy duty vehicles with >maximum safety features, imagine the same accident Greg had with a typical >low-end economy sub-compact car! The car companies have easy access to the >mortality rates for each make and model, why don't we? Even a pack of >cigarettes has a death warning on it, why not the same for cars? Any experts >in the car business out there who can (and will!) answer these questions? > Ken "Just wondering......"