I’ve seen the ads on TV and have heard the arguments, but for the life of me I cannot figure out why the hell the government finds the need to force drivers to wear their seatbelts in their cars while driving. Why is it any of the government business whether or not I wear a seatbelt? Why should I get a ticket if I chose not to or if I forget?
I’ve made no secret my libertarian views that for an act to be considered illegal the government must first prove that someone’s rights were violated, and if not then the act committed should be allowed no matter how disgusting or “immoral” that act may seem. Seatbelt laws are merely the comical absurdity of a government gone mad. What is the rationality behind such an inanely stupid law? That seatbelts save lives and therefore it is okay to force people to wear them? Well how come it is perfectly legal for motorcyclist to drive around without helmets? Look, I know seatbelts save lives, and I think everyone should do it, as I myself do, but I do not under any circumstances believe that people should be MADE to do so. You can suggest it all you want, but to force someone to wear a seatbelt is an absurd notion.
So why do people support this law which my state graced my people with? Here are two arguments I’ve heard.
1. Seatbelts save thousands of lives every year. You know how many people would die if they were allowed to not wear their seatbelts?
First of all, I don’t care. People have EVERY right to act in a manner which does not affect the rights of anyone else, so if they want to be stupid and risk their lives unnecessarily then I say let them. If someone can be trusted to drive a thousand pound death machine down a road with the potential to kill dozens of people I think we can also trust them to manage their own lives. Plus what does this argument really boil down to? If something risks lives then the government has the right to force people to protect themselves against it; this argument could be used in any number of situations. Smoking kills thousands, so the government has the right to ban smoking; drinking kills, so the government can ban drinking. Unprotected sex, contact sporting events, fatty foods, hell did you know you can get arthritis from cracking your knuckles? Should the government then make it illegal to crack our knuckles in order to protect their fragile little children, oh I meant their citizens, from the dangers of arthritis? Oh, and fat people, you are no longer allowed to eat a Burger King. Try selling that one.
Now you may say that’s crazy, no one wants that, and yes I agree that is an extreme example, but if the logic that because seatbelts save lives they should be mandatory is sound logic then that means the government has the right to force people to act in a way which benefits their health, and that means they can tell you how much to eat, how many hours you need to work out a day, and how much sleep you need. Oh yeah, Big Brother is watching you.
2. Not wearing seatbelts DOES violate the rights of others. You could fly out of your car, hit someone, and kill them.
Really? How likely is this situation? You hit a car and FLY out of the windshield with enough force to hit some guy and kill him? How many times have you read about that story in the local news? It would be considered bizarre for something like that to happen, and yet it’s an argument I’ve heard maybe a dozen times already. Oh, but you could fly out an open side window. Okay, even given that, then what? You’re going to fly all the way to the sidewalk and hit some random person? This argument still sound feasible? But even IF I were given reason enough to believe that anyone without a seatbelt is a hazardous projectile just waiting to fly out of their car and kill the nearest bystander, which I do not have, it still leads to a slippery slope which most people don’t even consider. If that is the case, then EVERYTHING a person has in their care MUST be tied down to prevent them from flying out the windows in case of an accident. This means groceries, backpacks for all out students out there, sporting equipment, boxes, etc, anything which could potently fly out of your car and (gasp) hit someone with enough force to harm them. Is this really what you want? For every time you leave your home do you want to get pulled over because that carton of milk you just bought might fly out of your car and kill someone if you get in a wreck? I can just see the politicians cracking their knuckles (oh, you thought just because YOU couldn’t do it they would hold themselves to the same standards?) and smiling, sitting back in their chairs thinking about how much money they can make.
Now I pose the question to you people who support seatbelt laws; why? What possible reason do you have to force your will upon me? Why is it that I can’t drive without a seatbelt and yet motorcyclist can ride without a helmet? Why are you always trying to take away my liberties and tell me how to live my life? Get off your high horses! You are not humanitarian, you are not protecting my liberty, and you are not acting upon the principles on which this greatest nation was founded.
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