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Do you believe in seat belt laws for consenting adults?

Do you believe in seat belt laws?


  • Total voters
    99
  • Poll closed .

Grim17

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This question applies to legal adults only, not children:

Do you believe in seat belt laws?

a) Yes. They are nessisary to protect the public for their own good.
b) No. I'm a consenting adult and shouldn't have to wear one if I don't want to.


Discuss...
 
Considering that after the introduction in my country, fatalities in car accidents went down by 70%, I believe I have the legitemate right to call everyone who opposes it a fanatic knownothing.
 
Also the question is about believing. The law has been both out there and enforced for decades. What difficulty is there to believe the law's existence today then?
 
Also the question is about believing. The law has been both out there and enforced for decades. What difficulty is there to believe the law's existence today then?

Believe = Support, In favor of.
 
I would like to point out the lexical infatilism of the OP.

Do you "BELIEVE" in seat belt laws for adults. As in, I have to believe in them. And believe doesn't mean support. I believe that the red sox are gonna win the championship at baseball, doesn't mean I support them. (I don't care about baseball or the red sox or anything of the sorts, but it's an example of why believe != support)

The correct way of putting it would be: should legal adults be forced to abide by seat belt laws? And the answer is YES. Being an adult doesn't mean you get to bypass the law according to what you think is best. It means that you abide by common laws as a responsible member of society. So yes, wear the god damn seat belt when you're driving and tell your wife and kids to use them too. It is proven to work and reduce fatalities. This law is not a bad law and it's not encroaching on your liberty. Liberty and freedom isn't freedom FROM responsabilities, is freedom to take on responsabilities because if you don't, others will take them on for you and that's how you lose your freedom.

Responsibility is the price of freedom. ~some guy
 
To not wear a seat belt is silly if you care about your safety. They obviously save lives in a huge way.

BUT...I do not believe for one second that the government has the right to force you to wear them.

If I want to further risk my life by not wearing a seat belt...that is my choice.

Bungy jumping and recreational skydiving are not safe...should the government outlaw them as well? Of course not.

I should be legally able to smoke crack, jump out of an airplane for fun, not wear a helmet while I ride a motorcycle, not wear seat belts or even kill myself...none of these things on their own are ANY of the government's business.

If I wish to abuse/subject my body to greater danger...including not wearing seat belts...that should be my choice.
 
I would like to point out the lexical infatilism of the OP.

Do you "BELIEVE" in seat belt laws for adults. As in, I have to believe in them. And believe doesn't mean support. I believe that the red sox are gonna win the championship at baseball, doesn't mean I support them. (I don't care about baseball or the red sox or anything of the sorts, but it's an example of why believe != support)


The correct way of putting it would be: should legal adults be forced to abide by seat belt laws? And the answer is YES. Being an adult doesn't mean you get to bypass the law according to what you think is best. It means that you abide by common laws as a responsible member of society. So yes, wear the god damn seat belt when you're driving and tell your wife and kids to use them too. It is proven to work and reduce fatalities. This law is not a bad law and it's not encroaching on your liberty. Liberty and freedom isn't freedom FROM responsabilities, is freedom to take on responsabilities because if you don't, others will take them on for you and that's how you lose your freedom.

Responsibility is the price of freedom. ~some guy

Oh, come on now.

You know exactly what he meant.

This is a chat forum, not a dissertation.
 
Oh, come on now.

You know exactly what he meant.

This is a chat forum, not a dissertation.

Lexical infantilism none the less. Turn adjectives into adverbs or nouns into adverbs or adjectives if it helps you get your point across. Make typos if you're trying to type fast. But for pete's sake, don't use believe in all things that are "up for debate" or people think (or believe) that they are up for debate.

It's the same problem with people saying "do you believe in evolution"? "do you believe that the universe is geocentric?", do you believe that the government has the right to collect taxes, do you believe that bla bla bla. Things that are tangible, real, proven... ah... in existence and such, don't come in a "believe or not believe" sort of format for the discussion because that way, you end up nowhere. "Oh, I believe this and it's my right to believe whatever I want and that makes my opinion as valid as yours". No it doesn't. So put the format in the correct setting: "Do you think it's right?/Do you think it's logical?/Do you think we can change this?". THINK, not believe. It begs for informed opinions instead of opinions.
 
Lexical infantilism none the less. Turn adjectives into adverbs or nouns into adverbs or adjectives if it helps you get your point across. Make typos if you're trying to type fast. But for pete's sake, don't use believe in all things that are "up for debate" or people think (or believe) that they are up for debate.

It's the same problem with people saying "do you believe in evolution"? "do you believe that the universe is geocentric?", do you believe that the government has the right to collect taxes, do you believe that bla bla bla. Things that are tangible, real, proven... ah... in existence and such, don't come in a "believe or not believe" sort of format for the discussion because that way, you end up nowhere. "Oh, I believe this and it's my right to believe whatever I want and that makes my opinion as valid as yours". No it doesn't. So put the format in the correct setting: "Do you think it's right?/Do you think it's logical?/Do you think we can change this?". THINK, not believe. It begs for informed opinions instead of opinions.

I have a suggestion for you that I give without a shred of hostility...

LIGHTEN UP.


Good day.
 
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I freely admit to my GIGANTIC hypocrisy here, but yes, I fully support seat belt laws for adults while I'm 100% against helmet laws for motorcycle riders over the age of 21.

People in cars are constantly "distracted" by all kinds of crap. Think about all the stuff people do while driving a car.

smoke
talk on phone
text
shave
apply make-up
pop zits
futz with radio/cd player
eat
drink
dance and/or play drums or air guitar
sing
open and close windows
adjust heat or a/c
read maps
futz with gps

and then there's the distractions of passengers - like children or pets.....

So many people are not truly paying attention when they drive a car.
They're multi-tasking.

So I completely support a law that turns a safety device into a simple habit. My kids, when they were younger would FREAK OUT if I even pulled out of the driveway without my seat belt on. They've grown up with that. It's a habit they don't even think about now. They get into a car, they put a seat belt on. Period. The law basically caused that habit.

So on the basic theory that a law has "groomed", or hell, even brainwashed my children into doing something so simple, yet so potentially life-saving, I'm 100% supportive of seat belt laws for ALL.

And really - is it any inconvenience at all?
 
I freely admit to my GIGANTIC hypocrisy here, but yes, I fully support seat belt laws for adults while I'm 100% against helmet laws for motorcycle riders over the age of 21.

People in cars are constantly "distracted" by all kinds of crap. Think about all the stuff people do while driving a car.

smoke
talk on phone
text
shave
apply make-up
pop zits
futz with radio/cd player
eat
drink
dance and/or play drums or air guitar
sing
open and close windows
adjust heat or a/c
read maps
futz with gps

and then there's the distractions of passengers - like children or pets.....

So many people are not truly paying attention when they drive a car.
They're multi-tasking.

So I completely support a law that turns a safety device into a simple habit. My kids, when they were younger would FREAK OUT if I even pulled out of the driveway without my seat belt on. They've grown up with that. It's a habit they don't even think about now. They get into a car, they put a seat belt on. Period. The law basically caused that habit.

So on the basic theory that a law has "groomed", or hell, even brainwashed my children into doing something so simple, yet so potentially life-saving, I'm 100% supportive of seat belt laws for ALL.

And really - is it any inconvenience at all?

But not wearing a seat belt does not distract your driving. So it is not a hazard to others. And the only time it comes into play, is when the car is already hitting something else.


I don't have a problem with seat belt laws for children...but not for adults.
 
I can't ever remember being in a car without my seatbelt on. I put it on automatically. When i was younger my dad wouldn't even start the car up until we "buckled up", it's just something we've always done.

All children and infants should always be correctly restrained, no matter your individual personal beliefs.
 
It is amazingly stupid not to wear seat belts. But I dont see how it harms anyone else unless when ejected from the vehicle the dummy not wearing seatbelts lands on you. I do beleive we should have the right to be stupid if it harms no one else. And it might get rid of a few of them liberterians.
 
By now, everyone knows the risks of not wearing a seat belt, so if a person still chooses not to wear one it should be their right to do so. I don't have a problem if the government requires people to sign a form saying they understand the dangers of not using their seat belt prior to being issued their drivers license, but since a person not wearing one isn't endangering anyone but themselves, the government has no valid reason to mandate there use.

The government does however, have a duty to protect the public, including children, from being harmed by the reckless or irresponsible actions of others, but they are not supposed to play mommy and daddy to consenting adults. Freedom means we are supposed to be free to live our lives the way we want, and seat belt laws are a direct contradiction to that.
 
By now, everyone knows the risks of not wearing a seat belt, so if a person still chooses not to wear one it should be their right to do so. I don't have a problem if the government requires people to sign a form saying they understand the dangers of not using their seat belt prior to being issued their drivers license, but since a person not wearing one isn't endangering anyone but themselves, the government has no valid reason to mandate there use.

The government does however, have a duty to protect the public, including children, from being harmed by the reckless or irresponsible actions of others, but they are not supposed to play mommy and daddy to consenting adults. Freedom means we are supposed to be free to live our lives the way we want, and seat belt laws are a direct contradiction to that.

IMO, pretty much says it all.
 
People, adults, constantly "break" all kinds of laws while driving. They speed, text, talk on phones.......

If you don't want to wear a seat belt - don't.
 
Considering that after the introduction in my country, fatalities in car accidents went down by 70%, I believe I have the legitemate right to call everyone who opposes it a fanatic knownothing.

I agree totally with the idea that everybody should wear seat belts and that insurance policies should be able to price that in.
But in my opinion you might have the balance between individual freedoms vs state intervention into the affairs of the citizens a little too close to the authoritarian models of the state. This opinion is based more on your choice of words to judge others than on the use of seat belts.
 
So when any kind of relationship/comparison between gun license/laws and drivers license/laws gets brought up in gun control threads, the first and immediate response is what?

Constitutional "right" to own guns.
Driving is not a "right". It's a privilege.

That's the mantra isn't it?

You have a right to do stupid crap all day long. Life threatening crap. Have at it.

You have complete and total freedom to travel any way you wish.

Some modes of transportation have more requirements. Others have less.

If you don't want to wear a seat belt - don't.
 
I agree totally with the idea that everybody should wear seat belts and that insurance policies should be able to price that in.
But in my opinion you might have the balance between individual freedoms vs state intervention into the affairs of the citizens a little too close to the authoritarian models of the state. This opinion is based more on your choice of words to judge others than on the use of seat belts.

A holow phrase.

Because it doesn`t include a single point or argument against seatbelts and coul be used as a reply against any law there is.

You could put this phrase in response to an argument for laws agains murder, rape, speeding, fraud, blackmail, harrasment and other common sence laws and it would still only have a selfserving purpose for you because it is utterly holow and without substance.
 
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