Taxation by Speeding ticket (Dayton, Ryan: house, neighborhood, income)

[Drover]

Originally Posted by QuadCityImages

How about when someone gets seriously injured because they weren't wearing a seat belt, and requires a lot of medical care. This raises all of our insurance costs in the long run, IF they have insurance. If they don't, it raises all of our medical costs because hospitals have to make up for uncompensated care somewhere. The idea that none of the cost difference between a minor injury and a serious injury will be borne by anyone other than the person who decides not to wear a seat belt is pretty unlikely.

If you don't want to bear the risks of others' actions, don't join the risk pool.

If minimizing the cost of injuries is your end goal, then surely you're a strong advocate of requiring all vehicle passengers wear helmets, seeing how this is the easiest and most cost-effective way to reduce injuries and the scope of injuries in a car accident...

[jmgg]

Originally Posted by Drover

If you don't want to bear the risks of others' actions, don't join the risk pool.

If minimizing the cost of injuries is your end goal, then surely you're a strong advocate of requiring all vehicle passengers wear helmets, seeing how this is the easiest and most cost-effective way to reduce injuries and the scope of injuries in a car accident...

Nice point. See how ridiculously out of hand this whole thing can get?

[QuadCityImages]

How about if you're caught not wearing a seatbelt you're dropped from your insurance instead of given a ticket? I'd be ok with that change.

[jmgg]

Originally Posted by QuadCityImages

How about if you're caught not wearing a seatbelt you're dropped from your insurance instead of given a ticket? I'd be ok with that change.

I'd be OK if the police would leave us alone to make the decision ourselves and concentrate on people breaking laws that could harm others. The ONLY part of this new harrassment law I agree with is minors needing to buckle up. We have a responsibility to protect our children. Once you reach adulthood, you should have the freedom to make bad decisions as long as it does not potentially hurt others. Everyone's life is complicated enough without having to be harrassed at every turn.

[robertjohnson]

Originally Posted by NCN

Money charged for commiting a crime is not a tax.

A distinction without a difference.

[robertjohnson]

Originally Posted by jmgg

Uh huh!! The police in Iowa have so much time on their hands by ignoring real criminal activity, that they can pull over any law abiding person driving the speed limit, straight down the road who just happens to not have their safety belt on. Good easy money for the state.

It's wonderful that they're doing this. You never know if someone's in an accident and is thrown from the vehicle through someone elses vehicle windshield causing them harm. This is the only explaination for the crackdown, because someone wearing a seatbelt is otherwise potentially harming no one but themselves. Government, get out of our face.

Yikes!
Flying bodies everywhere!
Even when I close my eyes.
Thanks for that.

[Granny Sue]

Originally Posted by jmgg

I'd be OK if the police would leave us alone to make the decision ourselves and concentrate on people breaking laws that could harm others. The ONLY part of this new harrassment law I agree with is minors needing to buckle up. We have a responsibility to protect our children. Once you reach adulthood, you should have the freedom to make bad decisions as long as it does not potentially hurt others. Everyone's life is complicated enough without having to be harrassed at every turn.

You forget...the police didn't make this law....they only enforce it. And more than likely they don't want to be doing it in the 1st place.

So maybe you need to concentrate on the people that the people elected to get this law changed.

[Mathguy]

My main point was that the state budget crisis has altered the rate of enforcement of existing laws.

[zz4guy]

Originally Posted by mofford

I used to feel resentment twards the seat belt law, my dad got a ticket for not wearing his belt about 6 years ago and started wearing it. A couple years back he was driving at night and there was a tractor on the shoulder of road that had an attached piece of equipment that extended onto the roadway. The problem was the tail lights and reflectors were so covered in dirt that he could not see it. He plowed into it going 50 MPH and had some cuts and bruises, but he had his belt on and the air bag deployed. His minivan was totaled, but he wasn't.

I had a seat belt ticket about 3 years ago and started wearing it, only because I don't want to get a ticket. I would not wear it unless there was a fine for not wearing it, and I had to get nailed once before it soaked in that I can't get away without wearing it, just like the old man. I've never had an accident since then, but it might of been the best 55 bucks I ever spent. Since it's more than $100 fine now, I put it on all the time. I hate the government telling me I have too wear it, but it saved my dad's life, so on this one I will yield to big brother. Hell, Im so crazy that I even wear my helmet once in a while when I ride my motorcycle, and there isn't even helmet law here. (and I don't want one either, because I know I will have to get busted once before I would wear it all the time)

Protecting people from their own stupidity.

[b-radmsp]

I simply can't fathom why some people would not want to wear their seatbelt (or helmet for bikers). Maybe I'm alone on this one, but I don't like the idea of being tossed around like a rag doll if I'm ever in an accident.