How much is Human Life worth?

[phildonnia]

There was a story recently in N Cal about a woman who was killed on the freeway when hit by a car that crossed the median. The focus was on the inadequacy of the median barrier in preventing the collision.

http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/8082550p-9015047c.html

Anyway, it came down to the fact that an improved median barrier would cost such-and-such, with this value obviously being less than that of a human life.

We often hear stories about great amounts of money spent on better safety, usually with a justification like "if it saves one life, it's worth it.". Well, is it?

Especially in regard to traffic safety, which has become increasingly the responsibility of government regulators and auto manufacturers, is it fair to compare dollars to lives this way?

Suppose the US could spend $100billion on a project that would save the lives of ten accident victims a year. Would you be for it?

What if the price of all automobiles were increased by $1000, for modifications that would save 1000 lives a year. Would you pay the extra money?

Since we seem to be unable to eradicate bizarre and improbable death, it seems that additional money put towards safety will eventually encounter diminishing returns. What would be your threshhold, in terms of money spent to save a life?

 

[DarkMagician]

Price of a human life: $5.15/hour * 24 hrs/day * 365.25 days/yr * 75 yrs

or about $3,385,867.50

Of course, I already see a solution: kill them early.

 

[Dragonrock]

Eventually the rate of diminishing returns would outweigh any lives saved. If cars could be made safer, but the price would be higher, then people who can't afford the new model would keep their old, less safe model longer. If the government spends too much in one area just to save one life then other areas may suffer and end up less safe causing more deaths. The money well isn't a bottomless pit, so there has to be compromise somewhere.

 

[!Xx+-Rational-+xX!]

The value of each person should be measured by how good of a angry fanatical debunker that they are!

 

[Iacchus]

If the additional safety is only to keep people from doing dumb things, why prolong the enivitable?

Seems like we have plenty of rules to enforce this type of behavior already.

 

[RussDill]

Even worse was in phoenix, where long stretches of urban freeway were built very quickly with *no* median barrier. The speeds on these freeways often averaged around 80mph. Fatal and near fatal accidents were *very* common. They called the 20 some yard median the "recovery zone", yea, right...anyway, it took a near fatal acciedent of a close friend of the governor to get anything done, and even then, its still only wire barriers, but, its better than nothing.

 

[Abdul Alhazred]

Price of a human life: $5.15/hour * 24 hrs/day * 365.25 days/yr * 75 yrs

or about $3,385,867.50

Of course, I already see a solution: kill them early.

I seem to recall a calculation of the value of the minerals in a human body. It was something like $7.38 or thereabouts.

But that was a long time ago. Anyone have a more up to date calculation?

 

[Abdul Alhazred]

... about $3,385,867.50

I'll deal. Pay me now and I promise not to do anything stupidly destructive.

I won't even kill folks who I know need killing, to save the administrative costs.

 

[Iacchus]

The thing I want to know is why death is such a big bogey in our culture? It's going to happen anyway, so why do we go through such great lengths to fight it?

And what's to accomplish by playing it too safe all the time? Without some element of danger how can we grow and test our character?

Besides, if you get into a fatal accident you're probably better off going all at once, as opposed to putting yourself in the hands of the doctors and lawyers, whose primary intent is to milk you of your life's savings, only to prolong your suffering and have you live the remainder of your life as a cripple. Indeed, there's lots of money to be had in the "death business."

And of course the longer that we live, the more laws we have to pass in order to insure that our "cripples" remain comfortable. And guess what? It isn't long before everyone's getting in on the act, and we have a whole society of cripples waiting on the government for some form of hand out.

Does that sound "healthy" to you?

 

[RussDill]

The thing I want to know is why death is such a big bogey in our culture? It's going to happen anyway, so why do we go through such great lengths to fight it?

If you don't want to prolong your life, feel free.

And what's to accomplish by playing it too safe all the time? Without some element of danger how can we grow and test our character?

Ok, is it safe to assume that you do not wear a seatbelt when driving in a car? Surely, sailing through a car's windshield builds character. Do you also endanger the safety of others with your attitude, do you drive drunk?

Besides, if you get into a fatal accident you're probably better off going all at once, as opposed to putting yourself in the hands of the doctors and lawyers, whose primary intent is to milk you of your life's savings, only to prolong your suffering and have you live the remainder of your life as a cripple. Indeed, there's lots of money to be had in the "death business."

Quite a cynic, what got you so cynical? I have a friend who was in a near fatal accident. Doctors, surgeons, nurses, lawyers, accident investigators, insurance men, friends, etc, all came together and made it possible for him to return to a normal life. He's doing great now, got married, had a kid. I'm not sure what your shtick is here.

And of course the longer that we live, the more laws we have to pass in order to insure that our "cripples" remain comfortable. And guess what? It isn't long before everyone's getting in on the act, and we have a whole society of cripples waiting on the government for some form of hand out.

That's a rather socialist assumption. Maybe it should be up to the individual to put away just a little bit of his money each month, so that he/she can retire in comfort. It's really not difficult, all it requires is a little self control

 

[Iacchus]

If you don't want to prolong your life, feel free.Of this isn't what I said. I said why go to such great lengths to prolong life?

Ok, is it safe to assume that you do not wear a seatbelt when driving in a car? Surely, sailing through a car's windshield builds character. Do you also endanger the safety of others with your attitude, do you drive drunk?

No, I do wear my seatbelt and I don't drive drunk, most of the time anyway. And if everyone did the same it wouldn't be such a problem.

Quite a cynic, what got you so cynical? I have a friend who was in a near fatal accident. Doctors, surgeons, nurses, lawyers, accident investigators, insurance men, friends, etc, all came together and made it possible for him to return to a normal life. He's doing great now, got married, had a kid. I'm not sure what your shtick is here.

What a waste of resources. Do you realize what this sort of attitude is reaping on the ecology of our planet? Where will all the doctors and lawyers -- and scientists -- be when there's no clean air to breath, and all the wildlife has died out?

That's a rather socialist assumption. Maybe it should be up to the individual to put away just a little bit of his money each month, so that he/she can retire in comfort. It's really not difficult, all it requires is a little self control

Nonethess it's typical ...

I mean comfort is okay, but at what expense?

 

[RussDill]

No, I do wear my seatbelt and I don't drive drunk, most of the time anyway. And if everyone did the same it wouldn't be such a problem.

I sincerely hope that that was some attempt at humor, otherwise, you are truly a worthless human being (speaking of the value of a human life...)

What a waste of resources. Do you realize what this sort of attitude is reaping on the ecology of our planet? Where will all the doctors and lawyers -- and scientists -- be when there's no clean air to breath, and all the wildlife has died out?

Doctors and lawyers are killing our ecology? wha? Last time I checked, there are doctors fighting to save the rain forests, in hope that new cures will be found there. There are also lawyers working with enviromentalists, even volunteering their time, to help solve enviromental issues.

 

[Iacchus]

I sincerely hope that that was some attempt at humor, otherwise, you are truly a worthless human being (speaking of the value of a human life...)

And who the hell are "you" to pass any sort of value judgment on me.

Doctors and lawyers are killing our ecology? wha? Last time I checked, there are doctors fighting to save the rain forests, in hope that new cures will be found there. There are also lawyers working with enviromentalists, even volunteering their time, to help solve enviromental issues.

The same sort of ridiculousness. To protect us from what, the inevitable? Blind leaders of the blind ...

The "new cure" for life is death, by the way.

 

[RussDill]

And who the hell are "you" to pass any sort of value judgment on me.

I'm sorry, anyone who goes out driving while drunk simply because they don't want to pay for a cab, ask for a ride, walk, get a bus, wait till you are sober, or don't drink in the first place when you don't have a ride, and then puts others lives in serious jepordy simply because of their own laziness is a sorry excuse for a human being. It's stupidity and an utter disregaurd for the lives of others, far more dangerous than say, shooting a gun into the air in crowded city.

The same sort of ridiculousness. To protect us from what, the inevitable? Blind leaders of the blind ...

The purpose is to extend and increase the quality of life for everyone. What makes you think that doctors are blind?

The "new cure" for life is death, by the way.

Right, I suppose we should all get some kool-aid and get to "curing" ourselves.

 

[Iacchus]

I'm sorry, anyone who goes out driving while drunk simply because they don't want to pay for a cab, ask for a ride, walk, get a bus, wait till you are sober, or don't drink in the first place when you don't have a ride, and then puts others lives in serious jepordy simply because of their own laziness is a sorry excuse for a human being. It's stupidity and an utter disregaurd for the lives of others, far more dangerous than say, shooting a gun into the air in crowded city.

Yes, but why do people get stupid and lazy in the first place, if there wasn't somebody there to "coddle" them along the way?

The purpose is to extend and increase the quality of life for everyone. What makes you think that doctors are blind?

Tell that to the people in New York City, or in any other over-populated area.

Right, I suppose we should all get some kool-aid and get to "curing" ourselves.

But that would be stupid wouldn't it?

 

[RussDill]

Yes, but why do people get stupid and lazy in the first place, if there wasn't somebody there to "coddle" them along the way?

So now it'll be someone elses fault if when driving home drunk, you swerve off the road and kill my brother and my neice.

Tell that to the people in New York City, or in any other over-populated area.

OK...

Attention people of New York City: The purpose of medicine to extend and increase the quality of life for everyone.

Ok, now what?

[sigh, more meaningless tripe for Iacchus]

But that would be stupid wouldn't it?

You said death is the cure, so why not? Aparently, you think that after death, our lives will be so much better, which is strange...because even by the bible, heaven is not devoid of war, anger, rage, etc. I'm not sure why life would be much different. Seems to me we'd bring our capitalist values along with us. Wanna watch a play by playwrights, pay addmission, want a copy of dickens latest book, pay up. Want therapy from a certified therapist, pay up. These people are able to charge for their creative services now, why not in the afterlife. The bible also indicates that in the afterlife, we will all be slaves to some sentient being, sounds like a blast...

 

[Dorian Gray]

But that would be stupid wouldn't it?

To paraphrase your sig line, if it wasn't "self-evident" to you, you'd be trying to expand your stupidity on multiple threads. And hey, look at that. You are.

Yes, but why do people get stupid and lazy in the first place, if there wasn't somebody there to "coddle" them along the way?

I don't understand. We don't coddle you on this board, but you are still stupid and lazy. So I give up. Why?

Obviously, to get back to the topic, it would depend on which human life we were talking about.

 

[Iacchus]

So now it'll be someone elses fault if when driving home drunk, you swerve off the road and kill my brother and my neice.

Now who's implying that I'm a drunkard here? And just because on occasion (and very rarely I might add) I may have had two or three beers and driven an automobile, doesn't mean I qualify for the "lunatic of the year" award.

OK...

Attention people of New York City: The purpose of medicine to extend and increase the quality of life for everyone.

Ok, now what?

[sigh, more meaningless tripe for Iacchus]

And yet all it really does is foster the environment for a more insidious type of disease such as AIDS to take place.

You said death is the cure, so why not? Aparently, you think that after death, our lives will be so much better, which is strange...because even by the bible, heaven is not devoid of war, anger, rage, etc. I'm not sure why life would be much different. Seems to me we'd bring our capitalist values along with us. Wanna watch a play by playwrights, pay addmission, want a copy of dickens latest book, pay up. Want therapy from a certified therapist, pay up. These people are able to charge for their creative services now, why not in the afterlife. The bible also indicates that in the afterlife, we will all be slaves to some sentient being, sounds like a blast...

Actually in the afterlife we find what we "relish" most. In which case you have to be careful what you ask for.

 

[Iacchus]

To paraphrase your sig line, if it wasn't "self-evident" to you, you'd be trying to expand your stupidity on multiple threads. And hey, look at that. You are.

I don't understand. We don't coddle you on this board, but you are still stupid and lazy. So I give up. Why?

Obviously, to get back to the topic, it would depend on which human life we were talking about.

Well I guess we're all entitled to our own opinions now aren't we?

 

[Iacchus]

To paraphrase your sig line, if it wasn't "self-evident" to you, you'd be trying to expand your stupidity on multiple threads. And hey, look at that. You are.

Hey, is that what I said?