Seatbelts protect other passengers in the car.
People are terrible at assessing risk and they probably need a gentle legislative push for some things, like seatbelts.
Re:John Nash Has Died
by sillygoose on Sunday May 24, 2015 @11:40AM
(#9596550)
Alright. Often there's only one person in the car though, and what I said applies to other things too.
But the accidents are not usually single car incidents.
So, you are then leaving the driver of the other car having been in a fatal accident, because you did not want to wear a seatbelt.
If you want to drive on a private road without a seatbelt, drunk, whatever, that is entirely your choice. If you are likely to interact with other road users, then your choices impact others. (Note: your choices on a private road impact your family etc, but, you do not risk leaving someone feeling guilty because they had a car crash which killed someone)
We're not talking about other things. We're talking about seatbelts.
Re:John Nash Has Died
by sillygoose on Sunday May 24, 2015 @10:47PM
(#9598415)
I already acknowledged your point. You could do the same for mine.
It's a bit of a stretch to say that seatbelt tickets lead to tyranny--driving's mostly a privilege not a right. Seatbelts can affect other people due to an inability to control the vehicle after a collision, more likely use of emergency resources, etc. I generally agree with the sentiment about nanny states, though
Didn't wear a seatbelt and headbutted the person in front, snapping their neck. Sucks to be them, I guess. But at least you stuck it to the man.
Re:John Nash Has Died
by drjesusphd on Sunday May 24, 2015 @01:50PM
(#9596946)
Does there exist a single incident like this?
Just playing devils advocate, but I know people who won't drive a car without making sure everyone has their seat belt on.
Re:John Nash Has Died
by sillygoose on Sunday May 24, 2015 @11:39AM
(#9596543)
Alright, you got me. Now imagine you being the only person in the car and try again.
Re:John Nash Has Died
by CamperBob2 on Sunday May 24, 2015 @07:15PM
(#9597965)
Seat belts help you stay in control of the car in the event of a collision. If you're the only person on the road, you might have a point.
If we go along that road, what's next? Should police officers be everywhere, ready to snatch a beer from an adult's hand if he seems to have had "too much" to drink already? What's too much? How do you know? The Nannier a state gets, the closer you are to complete tyranny.
Instead, we could just consider everyone personally responsible for their own choices.
- Didn't wear a seatbelt and got paralyzed in an accident? That's certainly tragic, but you're personally responsible for your choice to not wear a seatbelt.
- Didn't wear a seatbelt and nothing bad happened? Well good for you!