Originally posted by: Bowfinger
Originally posted by: daveymark
Not wearing a seatbelt doesn't harm anyone else, so why does it need to be a legal issue?
btw, I wear my seatbelt at all times. And I think other people should wear them at all times too. I just don't think it should be up to the law to decide how safe I should make myself.
Your premise is flawed. Wearing seat belts does marginally improve a driver's ability to control his vehicle in an emergency situation, e.g., a collision or even an emergency maneuver. By securing the driver in place, he is less likely to be tossed around the vehicle. Similarly, by belting passengers, they are less likely to interfere with the driver by being tossed around the vehicle. Improving your control of your vehicle reduces risks to other drivers.
An even greater benefit is the societal benefit of reduced medical costs. Health care is subsidized by taxpayers in multiple ways. Reducing your medical costs benefits all taxpayers, at least a little.
Therefore, the more proper analysis is whether the benefits of requiring seatbelts outweigh the "costs". In order to perform that analysis, you must identify those costs and attempt to quantify their value. I would maintain that the cost of wearing seatbelts is virtually nil, while the benefits are great. While one can launch a great ideological debate about freedom of choice, in my opinion it's a smokescreen for people who are just too stubborn or too contrary to change old habits. Buckle up -- you won't even notice it after a couple of weeks, and the life you save may be your own.
If you want to have a more meaningful discussion, let's talk about air bags. While seatbelts deliver tremendous safety benefits at a nominal cost, air bags are relatively expensive and offer only marginal additional benefit to occupants who are properly belted. Why should all drivers have to pay several hundred extra dollars per vehicle just to protect a few idiots who aren't willing to buckle up?
Any thoughts?
