Seat Belts: Should you have the choice?
By jess368
@jess368 (3368)
United States
January 16, 2007 10:34am CST
Hear the law states that if you are younger than four and or less than 36 inches, you have to be in a "child passenger saftey system" also known as a car seat. if you are between the ages of 5 and 16 you have to wear a seatbelt no questions asked. if you are 17 or older you only have to wear a seatbelt if you are in one of the front seats.
if they are going to go through all that trouble, why dont they just say everyone has to wear a seat belt?
Ok so my question is; should wearing a seatbelt be your choice or the state law?
2 people like this
4 responses
@speakeasy (4171)
• United States
25 Jan 07
I think it should be the law but even if it is a law you always have a choice. You can choose to obey the law or not. People break traffic laws everyday - speeding, not signalling turns, running lights and stop signs. Like I said, it is your choice whether you obey or not, but if you choose to break the law and get caught - expect to pay the fine or do the time.
2 people like this
@pumpkinjam (8539)
• United Kingdom
16 Jan 07
I think the age is 14 here for when you are responsible for your own safety in a car. I think people should wear seatbelts when they are available, I always do. As for children, it is up to their parents to keep them safe and there are laws which have been introduced recently about child car safety which seem a little complicated. Well, they work in theory, but not in practice. I think for children, they should always wear a seat belt anyway because they should be fitted in any car, but as for carseats, that's not always practical but I think if they are available, they should be used. Maybe there should be certain laws about safety in cars but it should ultimately be up to the adult to determine exactly what safety devices are absolutely necessary providing they conform to certain standards up to a reasonable point.
1 person likes this
@jess368 (3368)
• United States
16 Jan 07
I think I agree with you. I am still a little torn on how I feel about this issue. but I definitely think that there should be some laws about children, because whether we want to believe it or not, we have some parents out there that arent so great, and may not enforce their childrens safety.
1 person likes this
@kelly60 (4547)
• United States
27 Jan 07
I think that as an adult I should have the right to choose for myself. As for the children, the adult should take reasonble precautions. Reasonble precautions may or may not be consistant with what the law mandates.
