Monday, October 06, 2008

It's the (Seat Belt) MONEY, Honey

Don't bet against this.

Wisconsin could reap a federal windfall of about $15 million - and maybe up to $20 million - if state law is changed by July 1 to let officers stop vehicles when they suspect drivers or passengers aren't wearing seat belts.

Wisconsin will go all-Nazi-all-the-time, for $20 million. It's Doyle's nature, and Risser's.

Natch, there's a "study":

The change would save up to 73 lives a year in Wisconsin, according to the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. In a 2006 report, the institute also estimated that the change would save about $220 million a year in accident-related costs

...all depends on the meaning of "up to", I guess. Just ONE is entirely possible.

And for the most inane comment, call MADD.

The change is also a priority of the Wisconsin chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

"Seat belts save lives, and it is your only defense against a drunk driver," said Kari Kinnard, director of the Wisconsin branch of MADD.

Must be so. It's in the newspaper.

HT: FoxPolitics

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This would make the informal policy official.

$20M is not big money, DOT wise. What is that, another $10 on the title registration? Or to put it another way, using their numbers, it costs $275,000 to save one life, at least the cost to the feddies. If the goal is saving lives, there are better things to spend $20M on.