Ilikeyyc From United States, joined Dec 2003, 1373 posts, RR: 23 Posted (3 years 10 months 1 week 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 1631 times:
A better title might have been, "Does your government make you wear your seat belt?" but it wouldn't fit.
Quote: According to traffic safety researchers and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), seatbelts reduce a person's chances of dying in a crash by 45% and being injured by 50%. Seatbelts also prevent total ejections from a car during a crash, an important factor in preventing fatalities, since 75% of car occupants who are totally ejected during a crash are killed, according to NHTSA. Several independent studies have shown that seatbelts also reduce the severity of injury: the odds of serious injury for people not wearing seatbelts are 4 to 5 times greater than for people who are belted. In short, research has repeatedly demonstrated what is now widely known: seatbelts save lives and prevent injury.
During a recent trip to New Hampshire, I was surprised to learn that adult occupants of a vehicle in that state are not required to wear a seat belt. Considering that the state motto is "live free or die" I shouldn't have been so surprised.
Quote: There is a body of law that states a person has the right to refuse any personal health care device, drug, treatment, or surgery, even if such refusal might result in an earlier death or an increase in medical expenses. All seat belt laws, therefore, violate a person’s right to freely choose to use or not to use a "health care" seat belt harness. Any medical professional attempting to do the same would be prosecuted, yet politicians claim they can ignore the law while demanding strict compliance from the private sector.
So this begs the question: Is it right for the government to regulate the use of a seat belt in your own car? Does personal liberty trump safety even though death and injury can be prevented and when driving is a privilege and not a right?
ClassicLover From Ireland, joined Mar 2004, 3807 posts, RR: 22 Reply 1, posted (3 years 10 months 1 week 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 1619 times:
Quoting Ilikeyyc (Thread starter): So this begs the question: Is it right for the government to regulate the use of a seat belt in your own car? Does personal liberty trump safety even though death and injury can be prevented and when driving is a privilege and not a right?
In Australia it's a requirement by law to wear one. Police can pull you over and issue you a fine and make you lose points from your licence if you or any of your passengers are not wearing a seat belt.
Personal liberty on this one only results in more deaths imho. I always wear one.
Trent.
I choose to fly oneworld, as a member of Qantas Frequent Flyer.
AeroWesty From United States, joined Oct 2004, 15634 posts, RR: 66 Reply 2, posted (3 years 10 months 1 week 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 1616 times:
I always use my seat belt.
Quoting Ilikeyyc (Thread starter): Is it right for the government to regulate the use of a seat belt in your own car?
Driving is a privilege, not a right. The government can make whatever rules of the road they want to, since the roads are publically owned. When you drive on your own private property, do what you want.
Skidmarks From United Kingdom (England), joined Dec 2004, 6985 posts, RR: 69 Reply 4, posted (3 years 10 months 1 week 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 1609 times:
Matt72033 From United Kingdom (England), joined May 2005, 1617 posts, RR: 6 Reply 5, posted (3 years 10 months 1 week 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 1609 times:
its the law here......but passengers over 14 take responsibility for themselves i believe!
i often dont wear mine! kinda got out the habit of it working on the airport
ArmitageShanks From United Kingdom (England), joined Dec 2003, 3078 posts, RR: 19 Reply 6, posted (3 years 10 months 1 week 4 days 13 hours ago) and read 1600 times:
It's the law here in Tennessee, but its not a moving violation. They cannot pull you over for not wearing one, but they can ticket you for it if they have pulled you over for another reason.
AirPacific747 From Denmark, joined May 2008, 354 posts, RR: 25 Reply 8, posted (3 years 10 months 1 week 4 days 13 hours ago) and read 1588 times:
I always wear my seatbelt aswell.. why not? it takes you 2 seconds to put it on, and it can save your life. It does not feel right driving without the seatbelt on. It is also the law here in denmark.
IAH777 From United States, joined Mar 2008, 0 posts, RR: 8 Reply 12, posted (3 years 10 months 1 week 4 days 13 hours ago) and read 1578 times:
Law or no law (it is here), I don't back out of the driveway without one on. I drive among drunks for a living and have seen the end result far too many times not to wear it. I'm also a Field Trainer and Evaluator. While training, my rookies wear seatbelts at all times. During evaluation (where I just sit back and let them be a cop), if they don't put it on, I'll fail 'em that day. No freakin' way am I going to allow a death weigh on my conscience. If they choose to stop wearing them after I'm through with them, that's their choice. But if he/she dies as a result, I can still sleep at night.
[AnecdoteOn] I went to an accident on a freeway one night where one car rear-ended another at a relatively low speed. I could tell immediately that the front passenger hadn't been belted-in. "Were you wearing your seatbelt?" I asked. "Yes!" he lied. I beckoned him to the front of the car. "That piece of your forehead stuck in the broken glass tells me you're full of crap." He reached up and touched the middle of his forehead and discovered a 2x2 inch square had been ripped off. He didn't get a chance to apologize for lying before he passed out. [AnecdoteOff] *I could post a pic of his wayward skin still stuck in the windshield...
Quoting Ilikeyyc (Thread starter):
Is it right for the government to regulate the use of a seat belt in your own car?
Driving is a privilege, not a right. The government can make whatever rules of the road they want to, since the roads are publically owned. When you drive on your own private property, do what you want.
Kiwiandrew From Mauritius, joined Jun 2005, 5532 posts, RR: 17 Reply 16, posted (3 years 10 months 1 week 4 days 13 hours ago) and read 1557 times:
in theory I dont mind the idiots who dont wear seatbelts putting themselves forward ( literally ) for Darwin Awards - if they think they are immune from the laws of physics then by all means leave the belt off and do a Lady Di(e) performance..., however , the trouble is that sometimes it is not only themselves they kill/maim . A human being becomes a lethal projectile when flung at sufficient velocity and I do object to them taking someone else along with them on their suicide trip.
Moderation in all things ... including moderation ;-)
ManuCH From Switzerland, joined Jun 2005, 2349 posts, RR: 51 Reply 17, posted (3 years 10 months 1 week 4 days 13 hours ago) and read 1554 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW FORUM MODERATOR
I always wear my seatbelt. And I think those who don't wear seatbelts because "it's their life and they are free to take risks" are wrong: if they get hurt, we're all paying for their hospital stay. And that's one reason healthcare premiums go up all the time.
If seatbelts can reduce the number of injuries and help lower healthcare costs, then everyone needs to wear them, period. Or they need to pay themselves for their hospital stay (which is impossible for most people anyway).
Sort of, but that's a VERY big can of worms... then you have to include smokers - they have to pay for own cancer treatment.. drinkers have to pay for own liver transplant... gays will have to pay for their own treatments if they had unprotected gay sex and catch something nasty...
Breakfast in BHX, lunch in FAO, dinner in TIP, baggage in YYC.
FriendlySkies From United States, joined Aug 2004, 3591 posts, RR: 7 Reply 19, posted (3 years 10 months 1 week 4 days 12 hours ago) and read 1538 times:
Of course I do...I did before the "click it or ticket" as well. And personally, I think anyone who doesn't is a complete idiot.
I'm a ramblin' wreck from georgia tech and a helluva engineer
DrDeke From United States, joined Jun 2005, 827 posts, RR: 1 Reply 20, posted (3 years 10 months 1 week 4 days 12 hours ago) and read 1538 times:
Quoting AeroWesty (Reply 2): The government can make whatever rules of the road they want to, since the roads are publically owned.
First of all, at least in the United States, "the government" can't make any rules whatsoever against the will of the people, since the people ARE the government.
I might support a law requiring the driver of a vehicle carrying passengers under the age of 18 to wear a seatbelt, since in an accident, the seatbelt could prevent the driver from being knocked unconscious and enable the driver to avoid further danger to himself as well as the passenger (who, being a minor, likely does not have a choice in the matter of whether to ride with the driver). But I do not feel that it is justifiable in the US to require every driver to wear a seatbelt, although I know that many jurisdictions do.
Despite those sentiments on the legal question, I personally wear my seatbelt every single time I drive a car and virtually every time I ride in one. Wearing a seatbelt when traveling in a car is simply the correct thing to do from a safety standpoint. Since wearing a seatbelt does not inconvenience or bother me in any way, I see no reason not to.
-DrDeke
If you don't want it known, don't say it on a phone.
ManuCH From Switzerland, joined Jun 2005, 2349 posts, RR: 51 Reply 21, posted (3 years 10 months 1 week 4 days 12 hours ago) and read 1538 times:
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Quoting BHXFAOTIPYYC (Reply 18): Sort of, but that's a VERY big can of worms... then you have to include smokers - they have to pay for own cancer treatment.. drinkers have to pay for own liver transplant... gays will have to pay for their own treatments if they had unprotected gay sex and catch something nasty...
Yep, I was sure I'd open a can of worms with my statement ... but wearing a seatbelt is a very small action which I don't believe *really* disturbs anyone, but this very action can reduce costs drastically.
You don't get cancer on a voluntary basis. It's hard to stop smoking. And it's hard to refrain from living a gay life. A seatbelt isn't hard to wear and doesn't do any harm, even to the "I will never wear it" hardliners - I actually have a very hard time understanding what's so cool and "better" in not wearing a seatbelt. Anyone care to explain it?
DrDeke From United States, joined Jun 2005, 827 posts, RR: 1 Reply 22, posted (3 years 10 months 1 week 4 days 12 hours ago) and read 1536 times:
Quoting FriendlySkies (Reply 19): And personally, I think anyone who doesn't is a complete idiot.
I tend to agree, although I try not to pass judgment. I have heard a lot of very strange excuses and lines of reasoning regarding why people don't wear theirs.
-DrDeke
If you don't want it known, don't say it on a phone.
ManuCH From Switzerland, joined Jun 2005, 2349 posts, RR: 51 Reply 23, posted (3 years 10 months 1 week 4 days 12 hours ago) and read 1536 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW FORUM MODERATOR
Quoting DrDeke (Reply 22): I have heard a lot of very strange excuses and lines of reasoning regarding why people don't wear theirs.
The most common excuse I've heard so far, after "squeezing" people who don't weat theirs, is that it's apparently "uncool", and it's much better to break the law. As if it was some sort of dare-game with police officers... doesn't make much sense IMHO.
Matt72033 From United Kingdom (England), joined May 2005, 1617 posts, RR: 6 Reply 24, posted (3 years 10 months 1 week 4 days 12 hours ago) and read 1536 times:
Quoting ManuCH (Reply 21): You don't get cancer on a voluntary basis. It's hard to stop smoking. And it's hard to refrain from living a gay life. A seatbelt isn't hard to wear and doesn't do any harm, even to the "I will never wear it" hardliners - I actually have a very hard time understanding what's so cool and "better" in not wearing a seatbelt. Anyone care to explain it?
i dont think im "cool" for not wearing one, i just forget, an then if i do put it on it really irritates me.....and when i had my car accident my seatbelt probably did more damage to me than if i wasnt wearing it!
AirPacific747 From Denmark, joined May 2008, 354 posts, RR: 25 Reply 25, posted (3 years 10 months 1 week 4 days 12 hours ago) and read 1532 times:
Quoting ManuCH (Reply 21): You don't get cancer on a voluntary basis. It's hard to stop smoking. And it's hard to refrain from living a gay life. A seatbelt isn't hard to wear and doesn't do any harm, even to the "I will never wear it" hardliners Smile - I actually have a very hard time understanding what's so cool and "better" in not wearing a seatbelt. Anyone care to explain it?
Well I don't think that this is the answer. Maybe some day it could be you who forgot to wear your seatbelt because of a variety of reasons like stress or family issues and then you get into a car accident and you are not able to pay for the hospital treatment. That wouldn't be fair I think.
You should make more campaigns on tv, radio, newspaper, etc to scare people, so that more people would remember to use the seatbelt
[Edited 2006-01-25 18:48:29]
26 ManuCH: Don't get me wrong: I'm not talking about those who *forget* because of stress or other issues. I'm talking about those who *deliberately* don't wear
27 AirPacific747: yes thats true, but you cant tell the difference so it would be impossible to judge who should get treatment and who should not, also, maybe people w
28 AeroWesty: The only problem with that statement is that the U.S. isn't a democracy, it's a democratic republic. Laws may be made on our behalf by those we elect
29 Gilligan: There aren't any seatbelts on my Hayabusa!!!!!
30 2H4: What about speed limits? I see surveys every now and then that show an overwhelmingly large majority opposed to current speed limits, and in favor or
31 Jush: Yes I am. But i have to admit if the "journey" is quite short (like a mile or so) sometimes I don't put it on. Regds jush
32 Jacobin777: i ALWAYS wear my seatbelt, and make people sit in the front do also..otherwise I don't drive... I should make people sit in the back wear a seatbelt a
33 Senorcarnival: This is the most asinine thing I have read in a while. Only gay people are susceptible to catching something nasty as a result of unprotected sex? Wh
34 CO7e7: In Portage county (Ohio, USA) the signs on streets say :"Click it or Ticket!" In the city of Kent, the local police dept. along with the county sheri
35 Lentigomaligna: I always do, it especially helped that when I was young my mother was a lobbyist for seat belt laws and I have a brother that was killed in a car acci
36 Iflyatldl: When I was a kid about 5yrs old, my mother was thrown through a windshield. Of course, the car she was in at the time didn't have seatbelts. For me, i
37 CO7e7: i agree 100% Seat belts are installed in cars for a REASON! That should be enough!
38 Atrude777: What is a bit ironic here is seat belts save lives, but for the 2 of my friends, not wearing their seatbelt actually saved their lives. One friend- He
40 Aer Lingus: I always wear one when I sit in the front or in the rear. The only thing about the government forcing you to wear a seatbelt. Is that there will less
41 LTBEWR: I usually wear my seat belt/sholder harness, but I am not absolute, especially on short low speed hops to the morning bus. I should be better about it
42 Kiwiandrew: you do realise that in a crash they may be the ones that kill you - it is not unusual for unrestrained back seat pax to break the neck of the driver
43 Aloges: Yes, I always wear it - it's become so automatic I even put it on just to back the car out of the garage! Same thing applies to switching the lights o
44 Sabena332: Same here, I always switch on the lights, no matter if it is day or night. Patrick
45 N229NW: Interesting. Of course there ARE exceptions (like when smoking saves someone's life because they went outside for a smoke and missed the bus that cra
46 Shamrock350: In Ireland it is very strict due to the amount of road crashes in the country. I always wear it!!
47 ORFflyer: So which was it? Regardless, there are exceptions to every rule. Statistics easily prove that wearing seatbelts will save you many, many more times t
48 ANCFlyer: Seat belts on - always. It's grounds for suspension from duty if I'm at work and don't wear it. In my personal vehicle, there's an obnoxiously loud wa
49 Pope: The personal liberty argument is only half of the story. I completely support any adult's right not to wear a seatbelt, but if they get injured in an
50 QFA380: In Victoria (maybe more) you don't have to wear your seatbelt once you turn 70, as you could be a frail old lady and break your ribs. Old people are
51 AirPacific747: Actually wearing the seatbelt almost killed my sister in a car accident in Florida. Her friend was driving while my sister was sleeping on the back se
52 Matt72033: i just do the seatbelt up an then sit on top of it......shuts the alarm up!
53 Kiwiandrew: ... and they wont break any ribs when they fly through the windscreen ??? Is this by an chance the Victorian governments attempt to balance the budge
54 LSPA: that's the first thing I do when getting into a car...buckle up. It's like instinct by now! As said above it's the law here as well, but I would do it
55 2H4: I like how you bring this up from time to time, ANCFlyer. People don't seem to appreciate how much more visible and thus, safer they are with their l
56 AirPacific747: This is required by law in Denmark. You have to have your lights on as soon as the engine is running, no matter what time of day or year it is
57 LeonB1985: Seatbelt: normally yes, except when driving airside...
58 DrDeke: Uhh... Wouldn't that be more difficult, as well as more work, than just getting in and wearing the belt? Although I don't see why someone wouldn't wa
59 UAalltheway: In JAX/Florida forever it's been get an extra fine or something if you get pulled over for speeding or something.. only recently has it been that now
60 Ilikeyyc: When I was doing a little research for this thread, I came across an article that said dollar for dollar, patients who wear a seatbelt spend as much
61 VH-KCT*: Where did you hear this? I've certainly never heard of it before. A quick squiz at the road rules doesn't seem to support it. 264. Wearing of seatbel
62 2H4: But wouldn't the people who don't wear seat belts make more visits to the hospital than those of us who do? This would offset the total amount spent
63 Ilikeyyc: SOURCE Maybe I read it wrong, but I infered that the medical bills given did not include subsequent outpatient visits.
64 Brendan03: As ClassicLover said, It's law in australia... "Click Clack, Front and Back" - The times I've been to Indonesia and I've been getting transfers from t
65 Falcon84: I wear them without fail, and anyone in my car has to wear them, without fail. If, on a rare occaasion I forget, my kids remind me immediately. My dau
66 2H4: No, I meant that the people belted in would make fewer initial visits to begin with. That said, it's been a long day, and I could very well be readin
67 Marambio: Same here. Last weekend I was driving on the countryside without my seat belt (heck, the worst accident there could have been running over a cow) and
68 Ilikeyyc: I don't know what the national average is, but this same (older) study says more patients were belted in than non-belted:
69 Kevinl1011: Yeah I wear a seatbelt, so what. I just had to make POST 69! dude.
70 Searpqx: Along with the related posts by ANC and Pope, pretty much nullify the personal liberty argument. Funny thing, I am one of those rare exceptions who s
71 TEBguy: Yes, in the state of New Jersey (in the US) it is mandatory that all occupents of a vehicle wear their seatbelt. Should any passanger (or the driver,
72 Basas: I don't care even if the law didn't require it (which it does), I refuse to drive without making sure myself and all passengers are buckled up.
74 Roadrunner165: When I'm in Minnesota I always wear my seat belt. When I'm up here in Alaska, I never wear my seat belt. Adam
75 57AZ: Seat belt goes on before motor start and stays on until I get out of the car. Lights go on at dusk and off well after dawn if I'm driving at those hou
76 Jafa39: Is that in case you forget when you've been having a puff or two? Seat belts are the law here, not that they would save your life if you leave the ro
77 Jush: In for that as well. So much better to see other cars if they have the lights on as well. Really useful and it's not using a lot of petrol anyway. RE
78 Bill142: A light on my dash flashes at me until the seat belt is put on. It also knows if passengers in the car aren't wearing theirs. But yes, I have always w
79 Duke: I wear my seatbelt and would encourage anyone to wear one for obvious safety reasons. As for the law, I would say this is a borderline issue. I am aga
80 Bongo: I always use my seat belt. Even before it was mandatory in my Country.
81 Atco2b: Yes. I dont see why not, even if its not cool. I'd like to see how cool it is flying through the windscreen of a car at 70mph+
82 JAGflyer: I ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS wear a seatbelt. First thing I do before the car moves is put the seatbelt on and the last thing I do is take it off. I can't s
83 Dc10s4ever: I refuse to wear my seat belt. I was issued a ticket for it $250.00. I still have not paid it (2 years ago). The state of Texas has no right to tell m
84 ORFflyer: The state of Texas has every right to tell you what to do on their roads. If you don't believe that, and apparently you don't, you're in denial. Chan
85 Pyrex: Actually those are mandatory. In motorbikes, at least...
86 Gilligan: And down here in Texas they had a few billboards that said the samething until some wisecracker spray painted "Write it and Bite it" beneath them! No
87 2H4: Yeah....refuse to wear it. That'll show 'em! 2H4
88 GSPITNL: The State of South Carolina just passed a law stating that it is now a primary violation meaning that the cops can pull you over for nothing more than
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... but wearing a seatbelt is a very small action which I don't believe *really* disturbs anyone, but this very action can reduce costs drastically.
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