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Why make laws that penalize those that can aquire skill and limit freedom of choice, when you can educate and allow personal responsibility?
You know why so many modern Americans don't take personal responsibility? They look to the government to do it for them. Instead of coddling stupid people, why not make stupid people smarter? This goes for any laws of a similar nature.
That rationality can be applied to pretty much any law in existence. If people were skillful and always acted reasonable, there'd be no need for laws. Fact of the matter is, they don't, never have, never will, and the seeing as the state of the world generally improves continuously, I wouldn't say the legislation is too far off.
That said, like someone else pointed out, another debate entirely.
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Originally Posted by TKramar
Your "fact" dismisses the number of people found dead in their cars with their seat belts on.
Where did I dismiss that? Did I claim seat belts are the magical formula that aids you in surviving anything?
At certain speeds and in certain collisions, yes you'll be killed when wearing a seatbelt too.
If you don't, you'll be killed in a hell of a lot more of them, essentially a 30mph crash can turn lethal. There's nothing to argue there, at all.
I didn't used to think it should be a law, but since it is a law I wear it. It's second nature now.
If this law would not have been created I would never have started wearing it. 2 weeks ago today My little bro and I plowed into a Cavalier at 45mph in his Honda CRV. It was an old lady and she was at fault. The bags came out and the belts locked us in. It was pretty horrifying and I'll never forget the impact and the loud smashing of glass, metal, plastic. We both had some bruising, nothing big, from the belt. Guarantee we would have went through the windshield if it werent for the belts and Honda's 5 star all around crash rating.
That's the second CRV that kept us safe in a bad crash. The lady in the Cavalier was not as fortunate.
Seat belts save lives, as do air bags. Period. Don't wanna wear it? Don't wear it, but don't cry when you are disfigured from going through the windshield.
I got my driver's license in 1970.............I wore my seatbelt way back then, just because I didn't want my face mangled and scarred in an accident.
I have never driven once in my life without my seatbelt on.
Even when I am just moving the car from the garage to the driveway............I catch myself putting the seatbelt on........it is just so automatic to me.
Sure a few people might have lived if they hadn't been trapped in their car with belts on.
But a vastly larger number of traffic deaths could have been avoided if the passengers had their belts on.
I wasn't thinking of people "trapped" by their seat belts, I'm talking about crashes so bad that the seat belt did nothing to protect them (nor did the airbag).
That rationality can be applied to pretty much any law in existence.
ys it can, but in a land built on personal fredoms and the idea that "anyone who woud trade a bit of personal freedom for a bit of safety deserves neither" it's troublesome how willing the government is to intrude and run your life for you.
Every time someone says "there ought to be a law" my first instinct is to say, "have you really thought it through? Becaeu there probably oughtn't be."
Laws should be the barest minimum, to promote personal freedom, keep people from intentionally harming others, and promote personal responsibility. Oh, and to facilitate commerce.
ys it can, but in a land built on personal fredoms and the idea that "anyone who woud trade a bit of personal freedom for a bit of safety deserves neither" it's troublesome how willing the government is to intrude and run your life for you.
Every time someone says "there ought to be a law" my first instinct is to say, "have you really thought it through? Becaeu there probably oughtn't be."
Laws should be the barest minimum, to promote personal freedom, keep people from intentionally harming others, and promote personal responsibility. Oh, and to facilitate commerce.
So I guess there shouldn't be any speed limits either, just let people drive as fast as they want because most people are good drivers and everybody should be able to control their car no matter how fast they are driving.
How about lets do away with that pass only on the left, that's a stupid law.
And whats wrong with tailgating, I am a better driver than most so I should be able to tailgate.
but it wasn't until the late 90's that I realized WHY seat belts were so important. To try to avoid being thrown thru the windshield or ejected elsewhere in a collision as learned in defensive driving class. it didn't occur to me that on impact your body is still traveling at the speed you were going when you impacted even tho the vehicle slowed to zero mph. that's a chilling thought and that's why the aftermath of plane crashes can be so gruesome
So I guess there shouldn't be any speed limits either, just let people drive as fast as they want because most people are good drivers and everybody should be able to control their car no matter how fast they are driving.
Worked in Montana until the feds decided to pull the highway funding. Try again.
And the idea is to replace laws with education.
See, unlike smoking, driving is a skill that you CAN get good at. Deciding, like you have, that you can't, and then limiting everyone to the lowest common denominator, is not freedom, it's not liberty, it's busybody controlling of your fellow man. Educate people then let them make educated choices. Maybe raise the penalties for failing to take responsibility, and use THAT as the measure of control.
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How about lets do away with that pass only on the left, that's a stupid law.
And whats wrong with tailgating, I am a better driver than most so I should be able to tailgate.
Again, how about make the penalties stiffer for failure to take responsibility, so that if you DO fail in that regard, it really costs. IF you knew that there was going to be a huge fine for contributing to an accident, would you be so cavalier with your driving? That way you can have rules of the road, but the LAW is that you don't harm anyone thourgh your incompetence. And you pay heavily for incompetence. That way peopel who ARE skilled aren't penalized for successfully using their skill, but ARE penalized for failure.
It's like driving drunk. Right now, it's still a problem because the penalty is basically a slap on the wrist or a night in the drunk tank even if you kill someone. We have people driving after numerous DWIs and accidents. Make the penalties for harming someone while drunk MUCH higher with no room for pleading it down (even if you're a Kennedy).
Yes, there are too many laws, which generates haphazard enforcement and a clogging of the legal system. Drop the number of laws, and up the penalties for harming others due to failing in the responsibilities that come with driving.
I wasn't thinking of people "trapped" by their seat belts, I'm talking about crashes so bad that the seat belt did nothing to protect them (nor did the airbag).
No one claims seatbelts will always save your life in an accident. But you think they aren't worth wearing because some accidents are so bad the seat belts didn't save the life of the occupants?
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generally i always wore them
