Quote:
Originally Posted by redpoint5
Of course wear your seatbelt. It's just absurd that law requires individuals to do so.
I can legally juggle chainsaws as a complete novice, yet I have no say in the matter of wearing a seatbelt. I can fly an ultralight aircraft with no experience and no seatbelt legally, but cannot choose not to wear a seatbelt in a vehicle.
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It isn't that absurd if you look at likelihood of injury or death multiplied by the rate of activity. Almost all of us (320 million in the US and counting) drive or ride in a car multiple times per day, and nearly 40,000 people are killed in cars annually, so it makes sense for the state to mandate passenger use of safety devices in cars since we as a whole rack up a lot of damage there. (Not saying that any specific requirement like seatbelt laws, federal airbag mandates, or traction control are the way to go, only that the state has an interest in regulating passenger vehicle safety somehow). Meanwhile, how many people were injured while juggling chainsaws or flying ultralight aircraft last year?