I think that seat belts should be mandated by law, because we all (society) ends up bearing the brunt of the cost for people who fail to wear their seatbelts.

In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

It has been proven that seat belt laws increase the use of seat belts. Increasing the national seat belt use rate to 90 percent from the current 68 percent would prevent and estimated 5,536 fatalities, 132,670 injuries and save the nation $8.8 billion annually.

We all pay for those who do not wear seat belts. The higher health care and insurance costs that result from unbelted drivers and passengers involved in crashes get passed along to everyone.

For example, the costs of hospital care for an unbelted driver are 50 percent higher than those for a driver who was wearing a safety belt. Society bears 85 percent of those costs, not the individuals involved.

Thus, seat belt use should be mandatory.

does anyone realize how many lives have been, are, and will be saved by wearing a seatbelt. with the decisions that people make....drinking and driving.... it would be stupid not to wear them. our country is trying to keep us all safe by giving us these laws. its a personal choice to obey the law or not, so if its a law you can still choose whether you want to wear them or not.

The choice not to wear a seat belt does not only affect the life of the individual choosing not to wear one, but also the lives of others. Increased costs to society through subsidized health care and emotional burdens on the family members of those killed in car crashes outweighs the individual's right to choose whether or not to wear a seat belt. The consequences of an individual's choice are not confined only to that person, thus the requirement to wear a seat belt serves to protect other people from one person's error in judgment.

My sister was in a car accident a few months ago and died instantly... if she had been wearing a seatbelt she would still be alive and my nephew would still have a mother.

The seatbelt law is one law that should be enforced everywhere. How hard is it to put on a seatbelt? Just by doing that small thing you could save your life. No one ever plans on getting in a fatal accident but it happens. And when it does you're not only paying the price with your life, your relatives and friends also have to deal with the loss of someone they loved and cared about.

While wearing a seat belt is your choice it isn't your choice when someone is drunk driving and runs into you. Emergency workers don't have a choice then to treat you, so save everyone the heartache and just buckle up.

Yes, we need laws to protect everyone (or at least as many people as we can) from as many dangers as possible. We need to protect the human race at all cost. This can be facilitated getting people off the planet so that we don't have all of our eggs in one basket. And as we ship them up into space, we need to make sure that they are wearing their seat belts just in case they slam into a meteor heading towards Earth. That way they will survive and make it towards Mars to start anew. Since Mars is cold, they will have to start generating green house gasses to warm up the planet (but we're already pretty good at that). We need to spread humanity to the outer reaches of space and time. Since our television signals (especially today's news) would have preceded us, the universe will no doubt welcome us with open arms. It is our Manifest Destiny!

Seatbelts have reduced the number of vehicle-related deaths. The statistics speak for themselves.

seatbelts ARE in cars to save lifes

What about the psychological damage an unfastened body can cause for others involved in the accident? Also, there is a good chance that the body itself can do further damage to other people or property after it is projected from the vehicle.

If somebody doesn't have the common sense to wear a seat belt, they deserve a ticket.

It could keep the driver in his/her seat when the driving gets very rough (like right before and during an accident). That fact means that the driver has more control over the car (because he remains in his seat). That could protect others on the road , or in the car , or anywhere else, from getting hurt.

IF IT ONLY AFFECTED THE DRIVER, i would say it doesnt matter. But belts could help the driver stay driving. So theyre required

The government has a moral responsibility to protect its people. End of debate.

Why would anyone be against wearing a seatbelt? Yes you can go on and on about the intellectual right to self determine if you are going to wear one, but in this instance, there is no reason at all for someone to NOT wear a seatbelt. It's a proven fact that they save lives and that they are not an inconvenience when driving. With that in mind, this law is not a violation of liberty, it simply makes sense in the same way that mandating car manufacturers to follow safety guidelines makes sense.

You guys don't have seatbelt laws?!

it does ave lives but it should be up 2 u. so if you die its your fult.

Yes. If a person is gravely injured because they weren't wearing a seatbelt, it costs the state money on healing them, so they should be able to make people wear seatbelts.

If there are no seatbelt laws, then that would obviously leave the choice of wearing a seatbelt or not up to us. Some parents out there may not set a good example for their kids by not wearing a seatbelt. Keep in mind that children do not think of the best decision all the time or think of the consequences. You might say that "its their choice," but kids shouldn't have to face a choice that could bear such harsh consequences. They're not wise enough to make such a decision.

I remember back when you were not required to wear seatbelts by law. (I hate to date myself, but alas...for the sake of argument, I must).

Back in those days, few people wore seatbelts, and the majority of people did not, myself included. I would occassionally slap it on if I took the time to think about it, but most trips about town would be taken belt-less.

It wasn't until it was made law that I had to wear a seatbelt that I began the habit of wearing it every time I was in a car.

The law is the reason it has become my habit, instead of just something I'd do when I was thinking about it.

There are plenty of laws restricting how we can drive. There are speed limit laws, restricting how fast you can drive. Child carseat laws, restricting where children can sit, and how. Cellphone laws, restricting how you can use your cell phone while driving. I don't see why we shouldn't have this additional safety measure as law too.

Why would you criticize the government for enacting a law that will protect you? Its like slapping somebody in the face for reminding you to wear a bullet proof vest in a gun fight. The fine for being caught without a seatbelt on is only there to help you remember to wear your seatbelt.

In Australia we have them, basically these laws are to save stupid people from themselves. If you are on this website trying to construct an intellectual debate, you probably already wear a seat belt. If you don't you seriously need to rethink your life as you will be in a wheelchair by the time you are 30.

If Australia has to have seatbelt laws than I can't see how it's fair to Australians. There should be a global law in place that says "If one country has a law than all the World Leaders agree and decide to keep the law. That's why the US should have seatbelt laws.

Laws and punishment should be reserved for when actual crimes have been committed. If there is no harm, injury, or loss to any person or property with intent, there has been no crime to charge anyone.

Now, if the licensing regulatory body kept a point system, and revoked licenses for infraction, perhaps on a cumulative basis, that would be well within their power & jurisdiction. Using the force of the law, however, is a heavy-handed way to do so, and seems primarily aimed at revenue generation and money-saving by the insurance companies.

Why should you be fined for your own stupidity? And if it's to make people safer then why not ban BASE jumping or cave diving or other really dangerous sports? Or better yet why not ban smoking? If you don't have the common sense to buckle your seatbelt the only person that is likely to get hurt is yourself so what's the point of fining you for knowingly endangering your self? It's not the governments responsibility to protect us from ourselves, people should be smart enough to ensure their safety themselves. If anything repealing seatbelt laws would help weed the stupid people from the gene pool. (Don't get me wrong I support the gov't encouraging you to wear seatbelt I just don't think they have the right to punish me when I haven't done anything wrong to anybody.)

For adults it's a personal choice. For kids yes, for the same reasons laws are different for kids about other things. Not wearing a seat belt only harms yourself, and though your death could effect family and friends indirectly, it doesn't make it any less of a personal decision. Risk always exists.

I am in Canada where we have nationalized health care, which is probably the best argument for seat bell laws, as your otherwise prevented injuries will have to be paid by rationing of tax revenue. This, incidentally, is one illustration of how socialism can make justifications to sacrifice personal liberty/responsibility.

I believe that when you reach a certain age (18 I presume), you should choose whether or not you want to wear a seatbelt. Everyone knows the consequences, and if you decide you don't want to wear one, that's a personal choice.

The United States should not have seatbelt laws for the simple fact that they cannot be universally enforced. I see the commercials all the time "Click it or get a ticket" but at the same time I can count on one hand how many times I have seen Police Officers on patrol with seat belts on. They can ticket me, but who tickets them? A law that cannot be fairly enforced due to double standard should not exist.

The government should stay out of personal choices....however, insurance companies could easily state that benefits would not be paid without someone wearing the seatbelt....do not forget, it was the insurance companies which wanted seatbelts installed, not pissed off mommies

There is an article at Reason magazine (http://www.reason.com/news/show/33169.html) from 2005 that details the difference in style between the fight against seatbelt laws, and the fight against helmet laws.

In particular it also offers some historical background on the origin of seat belt laws that suggest their enactment had more to do with the will of the auto makers (to avoid having airbag laws):

"In contrast to the motorcycle industry's stance on helmets, automakers played an early and conspicuous role in the debate over seat belt laws, which they began pushing in 1983 as an alternative to the air bags the federal government was threatening to require. That strategy took on a new urgency in 1984, when Secretary of Transportation Elizabeth Dole said the federal air bag mandate would begin to take effect in 1986 but would be lifted if seat belt laws covering at least two-thirds of the U.S. population had been passed by April 1989. (As with the drinking age, which every state has raised to 21 because of a 1984 law that threatened to cut off highway funding if they didn't, the supposedly federalist Reagan administration did not hesitate to impose its preferred traffic safety policies on the states through indirect means.) The auto industry set up a lobby group, Traffic Safety Now, and invested some $100 million to push seat belt laws in the hope of meeting Dole's deadline."

I don't believe the government, whether it be local, state, or national, should have the right to require me to wear a seat belt.

Some will claim that my right ends where other's rights begin. To which I ask for proof that people who don't wear seat belts have more accidents than those who do. Until that is proven I see no logical reason for the government to interfere in this area.

However, having been in accidents myself and worked accidents (when I was in law enforcement) I highly recommend that people wear their seat belts.

It's not a matter of whether you should or shouldn't wear a seat belt, it's about whether you have the right to make that decision for yourself. We seem content to stand by and let our personal liberties get consumed while believing the propaganda that it's only to protect us from ourselves. Shouldn't we have laws prohibiting families with children from buying homes with pools? Statistically, children in that environment are far more likely to suffer severe brain injury and death as a result. What are we going to say when that propaganda starts being milled about? Skateboards, Rollerblades and bicycles too...all statistically shown to be unsafe.

This is going to sound absurd, but isn't the seat belt law (and all "self-protecting" laws like it) just perpetuating the reproduction of stupid people not smart enough to do everything available to protect themselves? These type of laws are just the governments way of insulting you and picking your pocket simultaneously.

In Texas, there used to be a helmet law and then it was repealed. How could that happen? Two reasons, the first is that motorcyclists are known for their "born free" philosophy towards life. The thought of Uncle Sam telling them what to do was enough to motivate bikers to fight the law. Second, from the governments perspective, there weren't enough motorcyclists to generate enough money off tickets to make fighting the battle worth it. It certainly wasn't because motorcycles are safer.

Now when I'm driving home in my car (with it's steel cage, sheet metal, air bags and yes...it's seat belt), and some helmet-less maniac blows by me at 90 mph on his/her bike, mixed with my normal thought of "suicidal maniac" is another thought..."live (or die) free, man!"

If someone wants to risk there life not wearing a seatbelt, let them. Police need to be worried about more important things then if some idiot is wearing there seatbelt. Only exception to this is if they are under 18

We're becoming a nation willing to give up our tiny little freedoms in order to become just a tiny bit more safe. I don't believe the "social contract" obligates us to abide by laws which protect us from ourselves. So I only wear my seatbelt whenever I choose to. When I'm eventually caught, I will loudly and proudly pay my debt to society.

I am a former cop and Nooooooo. What people fail to understand is that you can not put a value on freedom. The guy that said we would have to carry the burden well what about the burden of death that every soldier carried protecting the rights and Constitution of this country? As Benjamin Franklin said, "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." I have seen people kill because of seat-belts and if it is a game of chance then the choice should be yours. Child safety is up to the parents not the state same as medical treatment for your child its up to you.

Wake up people if you think a pencil pushing blood sucking member of the National Transportation Safety Admin has a clue think again! The people that put the crime statistics out want go to where there is real crime LOL.

If someone decides to not wear a seatbelt, then dies, then there will be one less stupid person on the roads.

guns are far more dangerous and their legal

The figure given for money saved by seat belts is $8.8 million. For the sake of argument, I'll assume thats true. Considering how much money the American people spend on everything else, most notably our "war", this is a drop in the bucket for something that actually is benefiting us. Killing the stupid.

If you want to die, it's your choice. I was spared by wearing a seatbelt, but I believe it's someone's choice.

In order to better understand the question, one must ask what the purpose of government and laws in direct relation to the people. The most commonly excepted purpose for government is to protect the safety of the people, for that is paramount to anything else. Therefore, when applied to this seatbelt question, one may draw the conclusion that a motorist who is not wearing his/her seatbelt is in no danger of harming another citizen other than their self, and it is therefore unconstitutional to have mandatory seat belt laws.

No, we need to put Darwinism back into society. Not everyone should be allowed to live or be kept alive. Letting people make the stupid choice of not wearing their seatbelt is like adding chlorine in the genetic pool.

State mandatory seatbelt harness laws are unconstitutional. They infringe on a person’s individual rights as guaranteed in the Bill of Rights, namely, the Fourth, Ninth and Fourteenth Amendments.

The government has no right to tell me what I should do to protect myself. As long as I'm not hurting anyone else with my decisions then i really don't see the point in seat belt laws..... oh wait yea i do REVENUE!! The only argument for seat belts is that you might be in a crash with another driver that is not wearing a seat belt and he/she might fly out of their car and hit you! When AND ONLY WHEN their actions infringe on your rights can you put laws in place to protect innocent people!

We should not have to wear our seat belt its my choice wether i want to be safe or not. It is rediculous how the state/goverment runs our lives we have no freedom anymore we have to do what they say or we pay.

if u die it should be your fult. so you make the choice to die or get hurt.

The reasons given in support of seatbelt laws in this debate seem ridiculous to me. One argument was that is was the purpose of government to protect its people from themselves. FALSE. Another argument was that it is proven seatbelts increase safety and save lives. Also FALSE. Then, someone was creative enough to say we should have seat belts laws, because of the benefits to ourselves and society and that they do NOT infringe on any rights, even though they would NOT support laws against smoking, drinking, etc. because those activities have "utility" - which I interpret to mean purpose.

In opposition to seat belt laws there are research studies that have shown that while wearing a safety belt may increase an individual's safety in certain types of crashes, it actually INCREASES risk and injury in other types of crashes. Don't just read the government, auto and insurance industry reports - dig a little deeper. Because the research that proves seat belts can actually CAUSE injuries in many types of accidents don’t fit the politically correct view, they are completely ignored. The result is that we never get a true comparison of whether wearing a seat belt actually saves more lives or causes more deaths because those numbers are ignored.

In addition, if the purpose in enacting laws is to save the taxpayer dollars - which was a common argument - why do we focus so intently on infringing on citizens rights when it comes to seat belts as a way to save money, but totally disregard it in other areas? The list of laws we could enact, or repeal that would end up saving dollars is innumerable. I would love to read a research statistic on comparing the costs that are saved due to wearing seatbelts ( a true one that actually addresses the fact that in many types of accidents, they actually CAUSE injuries that would have been avoided without a seatbelt) vs. the costs that would be saved by the taxpayer if smoking were outlawed completely, if overeating were outlawed completely, if drinking were outlawed completely . . . I mean we wouldn't get 100% compliance, but increasing the numbers of individuals in compliance would effect our health care costs immensely. Then, of course, we could jail the violators and thereby force compliance. If this sounds ridiculous to you, is cost really the issue?

If protecting us from ourselves is the argument, and according to more than one supporter, that is (after all) a primary role of government, then the same arguments could be made. Smoking is bad for us - 100% of the time. Therefore, making smoking completely illegal would provide 100% benefit. Seatbelts (if the propaganda is true) are only beneficial for us in the event of an accident. According to the US Census, in my state of Michigan there are approximately 1.3 accidents per 100 million miles driven. Statistically speaking, we would save a LOT more money and lives with a smoking ban . . . IF our concern is really the health of our citizens.

Ultimately, it's a question of liberty. James Madison noted that "there are more instances of the abridgement of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachment by those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." When we support the encroachment on ANYONE'S liberty, we open the door to encroachment on our own. Sometimes, even when there are benefits, the benefits RARELY outweigh the loss of liberty. Those willing to give up even a little bit of liberty for any amount of safety deserve neither. (paraphrased)

We are American!!!! Why did so many people have to die for our freedom of choices if we are not able to be free? If we are not harming anyone than we should be able to make our own choices...This is just another way for the goverment to fine us and make money... The truth is, we all need to fight for our constiitutional rights. Pease stand up and fight for our rights of justice. I can not fight alone,are you with me? Let's show them what the constitution, and the deaths of so many, really means!!!!

IF I AM ALIVE IS BECAUSE I WAS NOT HAVE THE SEAT BELT ON

MY CAR TIP OVER AND LEAKING FUEL AND I ESCAPED FAST

How easy some of us give up freedoms. The feds bribed the states with money to pass this law. It is funny how the ones pushing this bill can claim " They died because they where not wearing a seat belt" and if they where wearing one "they would have died anyways". Then there's "trapped in a burning car by a seat-belt", ''drowning unable to release seat belt". The list is endless on both sides. My brother-in-law was T-boned and lived because he did not have one on. I myself put it on in rain and expressway driving, but 30 to 40 my fear is the side not the front or back, so i do not like them on. To call someone stupid for not using one or using one, is just that. All this law does is give the feds and gov the ability to say what you must do with your property and your body, and you think it will stop there? In the publics best interest you should not skydive, mountain bike, ski, scuba, and by the way that radio station you listen (studies have shown) makes you agitated when driving. I am not property of the state, neither is my car. If you need the state to tell you how to live or die catch a flight to Cuba or Russia. It cost society! o please everybody makes money in crashes and death, body shops, lawyers, doctors, florist, insurance company's with higher rates, heck even the grave diggers. I know its cold to say that but for the love of this country fight for your freedoms to be able to decide.

Not wearing a seatbelt does not threaten the safety and the lives of others. It is not like drinking and driving or speeding, where other drivers could easily be hurt by your actions. Buckling up is not a public safety measure like street lights and center lines. It only affects the driver’s well being and the driver’s safety. Not wearing a seatbelt is currently a crime. But who is it a crime against?

It has been shown that seatbelts do not save lives statistically...so why force people to use them. If it make you feel safer then by all means go ahead. The agrument that it reduces insurance rates for all, is pure bull....has your insurance rates gone down...oh right this is where you say they did not go up as fast as they would have. Proving the not argument is a waste of your intellect. What it all means, is simple...another way for the Government to make money. SAS

Sure, seatbelts save lives, but enacting laws to require people wear seltbelts only saves the lives of stupid people, thus polluting the gene pool.

No it's a personal choice. Police don't even use their own seat belts. they say its all about safety and saving lives and all of those good things they tell us. It's about writing tickets and getting money for their dept. I have a cop friend and their department needed a new helicopter so they would have rallies like you would see at a car dealership, but rallies to see who can write the most tickets. For every ticket a cop writes 60% of the total payment of the fine goes to that department. Just follow the money people.

No, I think that seat belts should be optional. If this were the case, more and more stupid people (i.e. people who don't wear their seatbelts) will get killed in car accidents which over time would increase the proportion of smart people to dumb people, and we'd all be better off!

If people wish to run the risk of being seriously injured or killed in a car crash, let them. Motorcycle users aren't required to wear helmets, why should car riders be different?

As much as we need a law to put the toilet seat down.

ps... I wear my seatbelt AND put the toilet seat down.

Leave the pressure to wear them to the insurance companies. Penalise insurance companies when their customers attempt claims when found not wearing them.

I really think that a person should have a right to do whatever he or she thinks is ok to do with his body, unless it bothers somebody else.

When i am not wearing a seatbelt the only person that is in danger is me. I'm taking the risks. Okay if i get into an accident i have less chances to stay alive. Well i'm okay with that. Why should anyone else care about my life if i do not?

There should be a punishment for driving drunk, for speeding, for anything that can endanger everyone else. But a law about seatbelts is the same as a law obliging you to buy a car with 10 airbags, an ABS etc. Or obliging you to play football in full protection i mean come on - you can get hurt.

So i see no use in such a law.

No, we need to reduce rush hour traffic.