Cars vs. Guns

[Phood]

There are an estimated 270 million guns owned by civilians in the US. According to the CDC there were about 35,000 gun related deaths in 2009 (I know a few years old, but whatever). Of those deaths 11,500 homicides were committed with a gun.

There are 250 million registered vehicles in the US. According to the CDC there were about 35,000 vehicle deaths. Of those deaths 10,500 have been attributed to speeding.

Not all gun deaths involve assault rifles and large capacity magazines, but some are. Not all speeding related fatalities are a result of speeds higher than 55mph, but some are.

If a portion of the American public and government is considering limits on specific types of gun and equipment, then why don't we have the same conversation about vehicles that can go faster than most posted speed limits?

/discuss

[Dillon]

"Need" is irrelevant in the subject of rights.

[Phood]

"Need" is irrelevant in the subject of rights.

Ugh. I'm going to edit out my opinion. I don't want people to focus on that and not on the fact that these stats are virtually identical. I should know better. +1 to the internet.

[PizzaSHARK]

If a portion of the American public and government is considering limits on specific types of gun and equipment, then why don't we have the same conversation about vehicles that can go faster than most posted speed limits?

Because the media hasn't been stirring shit up about cars and deaths related to them lately.

[obdigore]

There are an estimated 270 million guns owned by civilians in the US. According to the CDC there were about 35,000 gun related deaths in 2009 (I know a few years old, but whatever). Of those deaths 11,500 homicides were committed with a gun.

There are 250 million registered vehicles in the US. According to the CDC there were about 35,000 vehicle deaths. Of those deaths 10,500 have been attributed to speeding.

Not all gun deaths involve assault rifles and large capacity magazines, but some are. Not all speeding related fatalities are a result of speeds higher than 55mph, but some are.

If a portion of the American public and government is considering limits on specific types of gun and equipment, then why don't we have the same conversation about vehicles that can go faster than most posted speed limits?

/discuss

We have research into the causes of speeding deaths as well as research into ways to prevent such things.

When was the last time the CDC did any research into the cause of gun homicides and can you tell me what happened to their budget the next year?

I'll wait while you educate yourself.

[Bolson13]

Cars/trucks are a necessity to keep everybody mobile and thus making for a better economy and in the end a better life for all. And even though many people still die from it, there is constant research and awareness campaigns going on to try and improve the safety of it. So basically society accepts the injuries and deaths for the common good and agrees that it will do everything to control those numbers.

Guns on the other hand are not a necessity for most people unless there is a zombie apocolypse or there are more bears in the US then there are people. And no, saying that a gun is a necessity for your protection is non-sense unless you live in a ghetto in Chicago or Detroit perhaps. There is the police and there are plenty of alarm systems, non lethal options and so on for your protection. And the fact that 1 out of 3 deaths by a gun are homicides definatly is a big counter to the "protection" argument.

Hence why a large part of society is starting to be against current gun while pretty much nobody is against cars/trucks. Basically it is apples and oranges.

[StayTuned]

Boooh, again this "car vs gun" argument. This time for limiting cars to speeds not faster than the allowed maximum.

Let me say just a few things:


Cars can be used for more than just going from A to B. Many, many car owners like to take their everyday cars to the racing track and drive a couple of rounds. I loved racing my GTI V over the Nürburgring.

Also, how the hell are you going to create a car which is limited to "the most posted speed limits"? No car should drive faster than 55mph? If I had to drive a constant of 90km/h for my yearly Croatia / Germany trip, it would take me three days instead of 14 hours.

Or do you want to make the limit 85mph ( interstate varies between 55 to 85 ), which is significantly higher than 55, but what then? Cars capable of driving 85mph are a risk in 55mph zones again.

So I came up with a solution:

The moment we stop using cars as means of movement, I am all for banning those, too. However, as long as we do not have teleportation, I'd much rather take the risk of being killed / kill someone with my car than having to walk throughout whole of Europe.

I also like driving at speeds of 200km/h and more. It's expensive but shit, it's fun and it takes you from A to B in no time as long as you do not get into shitty traffic jams. It's also only dangerous if I mess up and if I crash into another car at 130km/h I am just as dead as I would have been at speeds of 200+.

I don't drive so fast with the intent to kill somebody anyway, nor do I drive so fast to "protect myself from the evil guvernmnt". While guns only serve one purpose: to kill somebody, cars do so much more and limiting speeds is just a strawman argument to shift the focus away from real issues with guns.

[Ryuukon]

There are an estimated 270 million guns owned by civilians in the US. According to the CDC there were about 35,000 gun related deaths in 2009 (I know a few years old, but whatever). Of those deaths 11,500 homicides were committed with a gun.

There are 250 million registered vehicles in the US. According to the CDC there were about 35,000 vehicle deaths. Of those deaths 10,500 have been attributed to speeding.

Not all gun deaths involve assault rifles and large capacity magazines, but some are. Not all speeding related fatalities are a result of speeds higher than 55mph, but some are.

If a portion of the American public and government is considering limits on specific types of gun and equipment, then why don't we have the same conversation about vehicles that can go faster than most posted speed limits?

/discuss

People dying by motor vehicles, or smoke inhalation, or too many sweets, doesn't make the headline news.

When is the last time you heard about 20 children dying because of a car crash or communicable disease?

It happens every day, but you don't hear about it.

Yet when a psycho goes on a shooting spree and kills children (and don't get me wrong, it is tragic, just as tragic is every other child dying the world over for uncounted reasons, MANY of which still include guns, albeit in areas of war) suddenly it becomes a media feeding frenzy. All because suddenly they have a culprit. Yet it isn't the psycho that is the culprit. It's the guns.

Yet all of these people calling for gun bans don't understand that those that WANT guns will get them. Just like those that WANT drugs will get them. The drug war is a unilateral failure for a reason. Not only that, but it is actually CHEAPER to buy an untraceable stolen gun with no serial number than it is to buy a registered firearm that is legit.

And how many children die every day due to vehicular accidents throughout the world? A lot more than 20. Yet the press doesn't seem to care about that. They just want their headlines.

And how many children starve to death every day in 3rd world countries? More than can be counted.

THAT, my friends, is the real tragedy. Just because they aren't your countrymen doesn't make it any less tragic. And focusing on a singular event, tragic as it is, just marginalizes untold other children around the world that die every day due to land mines, child labor, disease, and just outright starvation.

Yet the entire world is focused on 20 children that died because of a gun...

The loss of a child, no matter how it occurs, is a travesty. But focusing on the few over the many... just as profound of a travesty.

[Underverse]

Yeah very similar stats, eerily similar. But more important stats than ownership are use. I guarantee you that more cars than guns are being used daily (especially if you consider that many fewer than 270 million people own guns; most guns owners own more than 1). So per use death rates at a very simple level would be much higher for guns.

Also, guns have very few redeeming factors, whereas cars are at least useful for a variety of transportation needs required for modern society to function as it currently does

[Alvito]

If a portion of the American public and government is considering limits on specific types of gun and equipment, then why don't we have the same conversation about vehicles that can go faster than most posted speed limits?

/discuss

Seeing how the posted speed limit changes dozens of times if you drive very long in almost any city in the country how do you plan on doing this? Oh sorry you live across the street from a school so your car can only go 15 mph. While I am sure many speed related deaths are due to them going 80+ which I am pretty sure is over the highway limits in every state, a large chunk of them are probably ppl speeding in lower posted zones, winding roads, durring poor weather and dozens of other things. Crazy things play into car deaths also, say somebody has a heart attack or falls asleep driving and hits somebody else. In the same place if i have a heart attack even if i had a gun in my hand nobody is going to end up dead.

[Deleted]

You can't compare cars to guns, cars can be used for transportation, the only things guns can be used for is blowing hole's in things from a distance.

Also speed doesn't kill you, suddenly getting stationary, thats what gets you.

[v2prwsmb45yhuq3wj23vpjk]

1 - Cars are used to an extreme degree in everyday life. To put it into perspective, if you could magically remove either cars or guns from the reach of the public, the removal of cars would be more significant and the benefits would be outweighed to an extreme degree by the negatives.
2 - Cars are made for a purpose that is not specifically to end life.
3 - The way we handle speed limits is outdated. Some cars are very dangerous even at the speed limit and others are very safe by comparison. Average stopping distance and other factors have changed significantly, yet our speed limits stay the same. I would agree that we should take a look at the way these things are handled, by my idea on the matter would probably have many people paranoid about being tracked.
4 - There are legitimate reasons for people to be able to drive faster than the posted speeds, and posted speeds vary heavily from state to state, not to mention specific places in an individual state. Many vehicles actually do have limitations on the speed they are able to drive that is enforced by a mechanism within the vehicle itself, called a governor.
5 - I agree with greater regulation being placed on who can operate a vehicle. Many places simply require a written test, others require hours driving with another person who has a license but that person can be a parent or somebody else equally biased, etc.

[Deleted]

Your analogy is pretty funny if you think about the amount of restrictions and rules you are affected by if you want to drive a car in public.
Also as an ignorant non american asking, isn't it easier to own a gun than to drive a car in america ?

[Adam Jensen]

Cars aren't created with the express purpose of killing things.

Guns are

There's your difference.

Getting sick of this analogy.

[Deleted]

Gun = Weapon used for taking life
Car = Transportation device


I can't see where the similarity is...

[obdigore]

Your analogy is pretty funny if you think about the amount of restrictions and rules you are affected by if you want to drive a car in public.
Also as an ignorant non american asking, isn't it easier to own a gun than to drive a car in america ?

Depends entirely on the state laws involved with both.

[Bolson13]

Gun = Weapon used for taking life
Car = Transportation device


I can't see where the similarity is...

In all honesty, you need to be "special" to see the similarities. Let's be honest now, the whole topic is just propaganda and flame bait.

[Deleted]

In all honesty, you need to be "special" to see the similarities. Let's be honest now, the whole topic is just propaganda and flame bait.

This is a pretty good point, I never understood why progun people use the car argument.

[Knight Gil]

Comparing guns with cars is edgy nowadays, it seems

[Deleted]

Comparing guns with cars is edgy nowadays, it seems

They're both technology and use both explosions as a primary source of energy, also they are both made of metal. But those are the only things they have in commen.