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Seatbelt law enforcement

Rara said:
Ironically, I still feel that seatbelt laws (and helmet laws) are unconstitutional, and violate our basic rights; but I would never drive without my seatbelt and never ride without a helmet.
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Agreed. The government has no place legislating seat belt usage.
 
What part of the constitution do seatbelt laws violate? Nothing in the constitution says any right is absoulte. All rights have limits including the First Amendment. Your first amendment right to free expression for example end when what you say interfers with the rights of another. Every right also carries with it responsibilities. Your right to the persuit of happiness ends when your drinking endangers the lives of others. A person is responsible for their actions and sometimes the responsiblity part gets lost and so we pass laws to enforce responsibilities. If you drive without a seatbelt, are a parent, get in an wreck, and are killed you have infringed on the rights of lots of others in a lot of ways. This fact that the behavior of one person both affects and effects the lives of others is why there are laws that try to limit peoples behavior.
 
To clarify, I believe that seat belt usage, along with many other things, should not be legislated. The Constitution does not prohibit the implementation of a seatbelt law, nor does it outline the implementation of one. It is not an area of Constitutional law, so it becomes our responsibility to accurately and intelligently interpret the spirit of law and governance, and to not set unnecessary or deleterious precedents as we do so.

Further, laws like those regarding seatbelts are seldom passed by referendum or a proper vote. Often, they are imposed upon us by bureaucrats. Unfortunately, none of these avenues consistently takes into account our liberty, putting the onus of vigilance on us.

I very much wish that people would find the value in leaving well enough alone. There are certain laws that we need, and many that we don't.
 
LauraSVT said:
To clarify, I believe that seat belt usage, along with many other things, should not be legislated. The Constitution does not prohibit the implementation of a seatbelt law, nor does it outline the implementation of one. It is not an area of Constitutional law, so it becomes our responsibility to accurately and intelligently interpret the spirit of law and governance, and to not set unnecessary or deleterious precedents as we do so.

Further, laws like those regarding seatbelts are seldom passed by referendum or a proper vote. Often, they are imposed upon us by bureaucrats. Unfortunately, none of these avenues consistently takes into account our liberty, putting the onus of vigilance on us.

I very much wish that people would find the value in leaving well enough alone. There are certain laws that we need, and many that we don't.
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I agree with most of what you say, however as I think you know, we live in a representational democracy not a dirrect one. I have been voting since the seventies and in four states. I have hardly ever gotten to vote on a law. So the few of us that vote choose those who pass the laws. The legislature here recently pass child seat laws because of the carnage caused by adults making bad decisions. Picture large, large unrestained adults with babies on their laps. I don't know how many times I have seen funds set up to help out some survivor of some selfinduced un/underinsured highway carnage. So I am in favor of introducing laws that have some effect in getting dumb people to do the right thing. Our insurance and tax rates are affected by this and since you and I pay we should have some say in this based on who we elect. Coercion is the human way of getting the masses to comply with a societies demands.
As social animals our liberties are really quite constrained.
 
RawBurt said:
Leave it to pudmunkie to be the whiney b!tch like usual. It was a joke and was stated in my post, so stfu with your cumbucket whiney ass comments. :rolleyes:
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You really are e hillybilly at heart? :laugh:

The people that don't wear seat belts or helmets are usually the idiots that don't have health insurance, which at the end of the day is an additional cost to the people that aren't idiots.

I am all for these laws.
 
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