Post AxndSm0fRup8WWLtke by ephesossh@mastodon.online
 (DIR) More posts by ephesossh@mastodon.online
 (DIR) Post #Axnd4tJwcFG8FQysgS by futurebird@sauropods.win
       2025-09-02T15:15:24Z
       
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       To be fair there was once a debate over if car manufacturers should be forced to provide seat belts. So you could have the "option" of using one. Then there were laws saying you had to use them... but only in the front seat. Then there were laws for kids only, and very strict laws about the construction of car seats for toddlers and babies. All of these written in blood. So a "debate" about something obvious isn't a new thing.
       
 (DIR) Post #AxndSm0fRup8WWLtke by ephesossh@mastodon.online
       2025-09-02T15:19:38Z
       
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       @futurebird "written in blood" is such a good way of describing those. Dark corollary to the rule of "if there's a sign, something happened that necessitated posting that sign, no matter how specific or weird."
       
 (DIR) Post #AxngqEKWcYlIsdW7c0 by jstatepost@mstdn.social
       2025-09-02T15:40:59Z
       
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       @futurebird Also, who else remembers the "debate" over the dangers of smoking. (And the "debate" about climate change.)There's a whole industry dedicated to spreading fear and doubt about scientific evidence, and it's been active for decades, and it's highly lucrative.
       
 (DIR) Post #AxnmBhZfaOv9Qpetua by llewelly@sauropods.win
       2025-09-02T16:36:07Z
       
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       @futurebird utah, and several other states repealed their helmet laws (for motorbikes) about 8 years ago. I suppose they might come back, in a helmet-laws-for-e-bikes only form, but it's more likely the overall anti-safety trend will rollback seatbelt laws in at least a few states.
       
 (DIR) Post #Axntd5l6TbFdw70xF2 by Photo55@mastodon.social
       2025-09-02T17:55:44Z
       
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       @futurebird And recently there seem to be a remarkable (not huge, but remarkable) number of people deliberately not using their seat belt.Weird.
       
 (DIR) Post #AxnuQInOnGwEYkYMu8 by lefthandmonki@mastodon.social
       2025-09-02T18:29:41Z
       
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       One reason to make these technologies mandatory is to keep corporations from competing on the wrong things, like the cheapest death trap.@futurebird
       
 (DIR) Post #AxnwnGOI6L2rfYsypc by mattmcirvin@mathstodon.xyz
       2025-09-02T18:56:17Z
       
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       @futurebird There were anti-seat-belt arguments that sounded a lot like antivax stuff. Fanciful arguments about scenarios in which seat belts actually did more harm than good, really driven by people just not being used to wearing them and finding them annoying. "What if the car explodes and you would have been thrown clear of it?" Etc.
       
 (DIR) Post #Axo5BZrm8tMaefmWxc by YakyuNightOwl@mastodon.world
       2025-09-02T20:30:16Z
       
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       @futurebird "Let's have a robust debate about motorcycle helmets! It's an issue of our civil rights!""With whom? That fellow down the hall is in a coma and on a short list for organ donation. His family isn't prepared to argue against helmets either.""C'mon. Doesn't anyone want to debate like the good old days?"
       
 (DIR) Post #AxojAEWO0tREKcgtpw by mcmullin@musicians.today
       2025-09-03T03:58:16Z
       
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       @futurebird I find this a hopeful thought. I remember when Real Men(TM) wouldn’t use seat belts. Somehow they got over that eventually, and most people today don’t think twice about it and may not know it was ever controversial in that way. Maybe one day we’ll be able to protect ourselves from COVID without controversy too.