Let's begin by pointing out the obvious; that what you're reading was written by a guy who – like millions of Americans – is still alive and all in one piece, notwithstanding that we drove (and rode in ) "unsafe" cars back in the day. Because those were the only kinds of cars you could drive or ride around in.

Here's one example:

Before I was old enough to legally drive, I used to catch a ride to school with a friend's mom, who would pick me up in her VW Beetle. This car had seat belts – a government requirement, even then – but none of us wore them because at the time, almost no one did. Perhaps because no one was forced to, then. They were uncomfortable to wear and impeded just climbing in and out of the car, which was a thing routinely done in those days. This included kids – who rode up front (unbuckled) rather than strapped into a "safety" seat in the back.

The Beetle had no air bags but it never mattered because my friend's mom never crashed the car. Same as regards us not wearing seat belts. They are an irrelevance if the car isn't crashed. But what if there had been a crash? Well, the Russians might decide they've had enough of us poking them in the eye – via the Ukrainian regime of the little man who likes to style himself "president" – and lob some nukes our way tomorrow.

Should be we spend our days in underground bunkers, just in case?