This may sound kind of obscure, but while I was driving today, I started thinking about seatbelt laws. I’m pretty much a libertarian, and I am completely against the government telling me, or other people what to do in our personal lives, yet I’ve never been offended by seatbelt laws. I don’t use any drugs, but I whole-heartedly believe that the government shouldn’t be able to tell me if I can legally or not. Sure, regulate it, but if I want to use heroin, that’s my business (don’t attack me for this; it’s not what my blog is about).
Anyway, I’ve always known that it’s the law to wear a seatbelt, but I’ve never thought anything of it. It’s safe, and I always do. But really, what business is it of the government’s that people should protect their own safety? I’m not saying that I disagree with seatbelt laws; I’m just saying that I question them. I’m not really sure where I stand. I guess I’d say that after thinking about it, I think that it should be illegal for children to go seatbeltless, and maybe the government should have PSAs and officially recommend seatbelts, and even mandate that cars for sale have proper seatbelts, but maybe give people the option to legally drive at their own risk.
I agree. I think children definetly should be made to wear seatbelts, but everyone over the age of 18 shouldn't have to. Recommended, yes, have to, no. I actually know personally a girl who was in a car wreck, did not have her seatbelt on, and came out relatively unscatched. The experts said that if she had been wearing her seatbelt, she would have had about a 90-99% chance of dying from strangulation. Obviously, its the exception rather than the rule, but it does happen.
Stormy
Stormy, I think I agree. Eighteen year olds are old enough to be responsible for themselves (mostly anyway; I know a few who are, well, careless about what they do). If they want to risk not having the seatbelt, that's their business.
As for children-yes, by all means wear seatbelts. Especially smaller children...being smaller myself (not even five foot and am almost into college!) I always felt safer with the seatbelt when the car was moving. But a question-do carseats play a role in this?
Are there carseat laws?
"I think, therefore I am." -Rene Descartes
There are carseat laws, and strict regulations based on age and height and weight which affect where someone is allowed to sit in the car.
in addition to carseat laws, there are some hospitals that will not let you leave with your newborn unless you can prove you have a proper carseat for it.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/sawaboof
"...There is a crushing guilt that comes with being a Catholic. Whether things are good or bad or you're simply... eating tacos in the park, there is always the crushing guilt."
-30 Rock-
I agree with you. It's your life and you should decide how you do things...but seatbelts have saved the lives of a few of my friends in the past. Personally my decision is to wear it.
One could argue (and I'm not sure I want to, but still) that the function of the government is to serve the people, which includes protecting them not only from outside threats but from themselves. On issues where an actual choice can logically be made the government should, as you suggested, provide PSAs and similar services, but on something like wearing a seatbelt when failing to comply is putting yourself needlessly at risk, I think the point should ideally be moot.
"What was never given utterance eventually becomes too nebulous to recall."
~ Jane Smiley
I agree completely. People under the age of 18 should be forced to wear seatbelts but then it shouldnt be a law. Granted it saves live but you should be mature enough to not drive recklessly.
I have definately never thought of that before. And I think that you are completely right. The government should make laws about how we drive because that afftects others and falls into the common good category, but seatbelts is an indiviual issue, The person in the car next to you is no going to be afftect at all by you not wearing your seatbelt. Mabye they should give insentives for wearing a seatbelt.
I agree completely. I recommend seat belts and I think they are a wonderful thing, but it is not the government's place to tell us what we have to do in our cars. I can understand not allowing people to text while driving and implementing general speed limits, but it definitely should not be left up to the federal government. The federal government has better things to do than to direct personal lives: like, I don't know, national defense? Or education?
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Do read my post fully. Not only does it help you understand my point instead of making rash statements, but it also gives me some semblance of faith that people can read and understand an argument.