Guess what I am trying to say is. In my area we have a ton of Semis and lifted Bro-Dozers with their bumpers at my head height. A new Tacoma isn't going to be all that much safer against those. Sure a side curtain airbag will get my head crushed a little less. Only way to be leaps and bounds safer is to buy a much much bigger truck than a new Tacoma. Cause I think you're effed either way against those big trucks.
You are arguing emotionally, not logically. Traffic fatalities per mile traveled has gone way down over the years despite that wide disparity in vehicle size and weight. You can make the argument that we're tinkering around the edges now since the majority of improvements have been made. So it may be fair to say that per dollar expended the return on safety is minimal. That's an economic or social science question.
Actually it is a zero sum game, none of us get out alive.
Yes, death is inescapable. That's not the argument I made. We're talking about wrecks as a game of odds. For you to win doesn't mean someone has to lose. It's not a coin toss. Both drivers can be driving safer cars and survive when one or both may not have with different technology. I know that nothing is normalized and, no, I'm in no hurry to trade my truck for one with more than 2 airbags.
But I'm not arguing that my truck is as safe relatively as a 2019 would be in the same wreck. I know that there are potential improvements. I just don't find the marginal increase in that safety worth the money. It's a valuation question, everything we do is based on what we of perceive is it's value or worth. IOW, for the extra money I think we're hitting a diminishing return. I also value other things, such as simplicity, utility, cost different than someone who may have different risk factors. If I had kids I would value being there for them and to support them financially higher. I'd probably buy life insurance in that case, too.
