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Seat Belt Laws

Your Opinion:

  • One federal seat belt law, but just for children

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    65
Please don't take this personal. I just want to present a scenario to prove you're wrong.

Your driving down a highway with your two young children safely strapped in their car seats. You're not wearing any restraints because you firmly believe what you've falsely posted... that driving without a seatbelt endangers no one but the person that is not wearing a seatbelt.

Then an accident happens as it so often does... You hit something on the highway, or fall asleep, or get a blowout, or get sideswiped by a hit and run driver, or [insert action here] that causes your car to suddenly stop moving from a rate high enough to cause your body to be propelled forward into the exploding airbag and roof breaking your neck.

You're at peace now because your brain no longer functions and believe me that's a good thing since you don't have to hear your hysterical children calling for their daddy as the smoke and fire....over time....eventually burns them alive.

I've seen the results of people who think like you so I hope you change your mind.

Bee

If they are old enough to call your name they are old enough to take off their seat belts and open the car door...
 
Even if u think it up to everyone to desiged if they one to protect themself or not. U have the problem is backseat passanger not being belted. Because the frontseat is not design to protect from the extreme impact of having the backseatpassenger slam in to them. Leading to possible death of the front seat passenger.
 
I don't because of my life experiances. I've seen the results of seat belt use and non-use in accidents. And each time it was contradictory to what the "experts" say.
Then your experiences are much different than mine.

I'll continue to be frustrated at turning up to these crashes time and time again knowing that that sometimes these dead people don't have to be dead and no doubt i'll keep wasting my time venting my frustration at the continuing needless deaths. At the end of the day it's your life not mine. Do what you you want. Nothing i say makes a difference. Everyone thinks they are invincible. It will never happen to them.
 
A few yrs ago driving 15MPH, a cop stopped me b/c my friend was not wearing a seatbelt and gave her a ticket. Of course this was in upstate NY, so I guess it should be expected.
 
while airbags do brace a person in the case of a crash, that is only from hitting the steering wheel. is a person is driving 60 mph and crashes with no seatbelt on, the airbag does not prevent them from going through the window. It's not my business though, if you don't want to take an extra 3 seconds to put on something that could keep you from flying hundreds of feet through the air in the case of a crash, have fun. I will be safely secured.
Why did you quote me, since you didn't for a second address what I was discussing. You need to read again. I never said airbags replace seatbelts, I said they were supplemental.
 
I've never had to cut a dead body out of a seat belt.....

I have, however, had to block the roadway off for an investigation and standby as the fire department hosed off the blood from an ejected driver/passenger off of the highway.
I was an EMT for four years, and went out to some bad accidents. I've also been involved in some bad accidents.
 
would someone please..... Think of the children!!!!!!
You could always ask yourself what cause insurance rates to climb.
 
I didn't know there were so many stupid people here at DP.

How could anybody be against seat belt laws. Maybe when the issue was a new idea but now that there are air bags in almost every car, if you don't have a seat belt to go with the air bag you will likely be severly hurt by the exploding bag.

I used to buy crashed cars and I saw the evidence of people not wearing seat belts. I can't be in any car without a seat belt on anymore.

What are the arguments against them other than some stupid idea of liberty being crushed.
 
I didn't know there were so many stupid people here at DP.

How could anybody be against seat belt laws. Maybe when the issue was a new idea but now that there are air bags in almost every car, if you don't have a seat belt to go with the air bag you will likely be severly hurt by the exploding bag.

I used to buy crashed cars and I saw the evidence of people not wearing seat belts. I can't be in any car without a seat belt on anymore.

What are the arguments against them other than some stupid idea of liberty being crushed.

I always wear my seatbelt in the car. But it's not the government's job to make me do so.
 
I always wear my seatbelt in the car. But it's not the government's job to make me do so.

Do you have a problem with a law that says an adult has to protect a minor in a vehicle with a seat belt or other restarint device?

Here in Mexico people don't follow any types of rules to protect thier kids.

I see cars with kids hanging out the windows, out the sun roofs, babies on peoples laps, including the driver, and these cars have air bags, in the back of open pick up trucks and sometimes packed in so tight, the car is dragging on the ground. We do have seat belt laws but the cops don't enforce anything.

The arguments here have been about people not using seat belts eventhough the thread is about the law.
 
Not sure if you meant that sarcastically or not, but am taking it as such as that seems to the be battle cry of anyone that tries to push an agenda that even remotely might affect a child.

I thought you would provide something better or nothing at all instead of this. Like what part of the scenario I gave you do you believe couldn't happen. But hey, have a good day.

If they are old enough to call your name they are old enough to take off their seat belts and open the car door...

This is a dangerous and inaccurate assumption because many children who can say simple words may still lack the strength to push the release mechanisms or may be too dazed from the accident itself to think straight.

Bee
 
I didn't know there were so many stupid people here at DP.

How could anybody be against seat belt laws. Maybe when the issue was a new idea but now that there are air bags in almost every car, if you don't have a seat belt to go with the air bag you will likely be severly hurt by the exploding bag.

I used to buy crashed cars and I saw the evidence of people not wearing seat belts. I can't be in any car without a seat belt on anymore.

What are the arguments against them other than some stupid idea of liberty being crushed.

There's a difference between being against wearing seat belts and being against mandatory seat belt laws.
 
I see cars with kids hanging out the windows, out the sun roofs, babies on peoples laps, including the driver, and these cars have air bags, in the back of open pick up trucks and sometimes packed in so tight, the car is dragging on the ground. We do have seat belt laws but the cops don't enforce anything.

Is the population of Mexico threatening to collapse? Or is the non-enforcement of these laws a relative non-factor?
 
Nascar drivers also wear flame retardent suits, should we require all drivers, passengers, and kids to wear them also?

You forgot the helmets.


Of course we are not asking occupants in vehicles to wear helmets and flame retardent suits.

A seat belt is a simple task that has been proven to save lives and reduces injuries. It should be a law just as is making texting illegal while driving.

Also, I doubt the Nascar rider has his family wear flame retardent suits when they go out to a restaurant in the family sedan but I bet they all wear seatbelts.
 
A few yrs ago driving 15MPH, a cop stopped me b/c my friend was not wearing a seatbelt and gave her a ticket. Of course this was in upstate NY, so I guess it should be expected.

So?
.......
 
You forgot the helmets.


Of course we are not asking occupants in vehicles to wear helmets and flame retardent suits.

A seat belt is a simple task that has been proven to save lives and reduces injuries. It should be a law just as is making texting illegal while driving.

Also, I doubt the Nascar rider has his family wear flame retardent suits when they go out to a restaurant in the family sedan but I bet they all wear seatbelts.

I understand texting completely.
Texting affects the safety of other drivers on the roadway.

Wearing your seatbelt or not wearing your seat belt does not.
 
I thought you would provide something better or nothing at all instead of this. Like what part of the scenario I gave you do you believe couldn't happen. But hey, have a good day.

All of it could happen. Just tired of hearing the "think of the children" spiel. I will tell you this though. Considering I could die because of the seatbelt also your point is moot.
 
Should there be one federal seat belt law declaring that every person in the vehicle should be wearing one whenever the vehicle is moving? Should I remain up to the states? Should some people be exempt from seat belt laws? Should there be seat belt laws at all for adults?

Discuss. :)

❖ I strongly think so. The more people who have their seat belts buckled, the more people that survive car crashes.

❖ I'm not sure if it should remain up to the states. To me it seems like a no-brainer, and should therefore be applied nation-wide.

❖ Exemption from wearing seat-belts... it really depends. I don't know/can't think of any certain people with any certain reasons. Perhaps post-surgery passengers... but I honestly don't know.

❖ Definitely. A 250-lb man can still fly through the windshield on impact.
 
All of it could happen. Just tired of hearing the "think of the children" spiel.

Ok, sorry about that but I deal with children a lot so it was first on my mind.

I will tell you this though. Considering I could die because of the seatbelt also your point is moot.

Maybe, but my sole argument was based on your statement that only YOU would be affected by not wearing a seatbelt, not whether you were the sole occupant. The fact remains that YOU can indirectly cause injury or death to someone else in a multiple of situations by not wearing one.

Look, I'm not going to press you anymore on this because I believe you to be rational in real life but I know and have worked with EMT's and police officers whose first thoughts when arriving on the scene of a severe auto accident is the hope that the occupants were wearing seatbelts. Unfortunately, a car full of teens are 50/50.

The bottom line is that a driver has a responsibility to make sure that he/she and all their passengers are buckled in...and remember, the seatbelt and airbag work together to greatly increase the chances of survival. Without the belt, the airbag can kill you.

Have a great day and be safe :)

Bee
 
This is a dangerous and inaccurate assumption because many children who can say simple words may still lack the strength to push the release mechanisms or may be too dazed from the accident itself to think straight.

Bee

I guess this is why Natural Selection is such a valuable tool...
 
Ok, sorry about that but I deal with children a lot so it was first on my mind.

Np. ;)

Maybe, but my sole argument was based on your statement that only YOU would be affected by not wearing a seatbelt, not whether you were the sole occupant. The fact remains that YOU can indirectly cause injury or death to someone else in a multiple of situations by not wearing one.

That's the thing though. No matter what you do you are always affecting someone either directly or indirectly. Because of this, basing a law solely on the fact that you may affect someone besides yourself is at best bogus. If we were to do this and allow our legislatures to do this then there is nothing that they couldn't pass unless it runs directly contrary to what is in the Constitution....and even then they have the ability to change that. So, where do we draw the line? Don't we have rights that are not enumerated by the Constitution? If anyone says no then the founding fathers of this nations greatest fear regarding the Bill of Rights has been realized.

Look, I'm not going to press you anymore on this because I believe you to be rational in real life but I know and have worked with EMT's and police officers whose first thoughts when arriving on the scene of a severe auto accident is the hope that the occupants were wearing seatbelts. Unfortunately, a car full of teens are 50/50.

The only thing that I can say to this is that everyone bases their decisions on their own personal lives. What may be common for one person may not be for another.

The bottom line is that a driver has a responsibility to make sure that he/she and all their passengers are buckled in...and remember, the seatbelt and airbag work together to greatly increase the chances of survival. Without the belt, the airbag can kill you.

IMO the driver has the responsibility to make sure that thier passengers and him/her self are safe. The first line of defense in that regard is defensive driving and keeping yourself aware of everything around you.

The only times that seatbelts and airbags really help is when hit directly on or semi-directly on. If you get T-Boned or rear ended then they are useless. If I get T-boned a seatbelt can actually make things worse. If I get rear ended then I am going to be pushed into my seat first and in that instant my arms and legs are going to be locking up and as such I definitely won't be going through the window. I can generally control what hits me in the front, I can't as easily control what hits me from the sides or rear.

Have a great day and be safe :)

Bee

You too. ;)
 
I understand texting completely.
Texting affects the safety of other drivers on the roadway.

Wearing your seatbelt or not wearing your seat belt does not.

Not wearing your seatbelt could easily affect others on the roadway by causing you to become either a road hazard or a projectile.

Think about it this way, if someone is thrown from their vehicle in traffic, people are likely to either try to swerve or stop abruptly to avoid hitting the person. These actions cause accidents normally. Since at least one accident has already occurred, we are talking about a compounded problem. Plus, that person thrown through that windshield could easily hit someone else's car. Anyone read that accident involving the bear? That bear could easily be a person flying out of their car because they weren't wearing a seatbelt.
 
❖ I strongly think so. The more people who have their seat belts buckled, the more people that survive car crashes.

❖ I'm not sure if it should remain up to the states. To me it seems like a no-brainer, and should therefore be applied nation-wide.

❖ Exemption from wearing seat-belts... it really depends. I don't know/can't think of any certain people with any certain reasons. Perhaps post-surgery passengers... but I honestly don't know.

❖ Definitely. A 250-lb man can still fly through the windshield on impact.

I believe I read somewhere (with seatbelt laws) that people who have broken collar bones do not have to wear the seat belt if it is a shoulder belt. That's the only one I remember.
 
Not wearing your seatbelt could easily affect others on the roadway by causing you to become either a road hazard or a projectile.

Think about it this way, if someone is thrown from their vehicle in traffic, people are likely to either try to swerve or stop abruptly to avoid hitting the person. These actions cause accidents normally. Since at least one accident has already occurred, we are talking about a compounded problem. Plus, that person thrown through that windshield could easily hit someone else's car. Anyone read that accident involving the bear? That bear could easily be a person flying out of their car because they weren't wearing a seatbelt.

Same can be said for a vehicle spinning out of control.

Lets ban vehicles from the roadways!
 
Should there be one federal seat belt law declaring that every person in the vehicle should be wearing one whenever the vehicle is moving? Should I remain up to the states? Should some people be exempt from seat belt laws? Should there be seat belt laws at all for adults?

Discuss. :)

I don't feel strongly either way because my car doesn't move until everyone's bucked anyway.
 
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