Law enforcement increasing focus on seat belt law

While I understand the reasons for wearing a seat belt and shoulder restraints, I do not understand the ability of any legal system to mandate that everyone MUST use them. The last time I checked, the constitution says I'm a free individual that can decide what is right for me.

I ride motorcycle, snowmobile and a 4 wheeler. None of these require a seat belt but of course the law says I must use a helmet. I think it's insane to ride without a helmet but I also think it should ultimately be my own CHOICE.

Jumping out of airplanes used to be something I enjoyed (with a parachute, of course) and I've also been SCUBA diving. These are high risk activities but thank goodness I don't have johnny law telling me that I can't do them.

You can buy all the cigarettes and booze you want. You can breathe all the polluted air you want. You can go mountain climbing or drive a race car on the track but heaven forbid if you don't wear that seat belt while driving your own commuter vehicle.

The bottom line is, the only reason we have a seat belt law is for the obvious money grab. The same can be said for the cell phone while driving law. We already have a reckless driving law and didn't need another law in order to fleece us.

Here's the way I look at It-It's one thing that you can get for free, came with the vehicle.It's usually pretty handy-no looking for It ,like the snow brush.I always put It on.

How do you wear a snow brush?

They were sitting here in town for a couple of hours. Watched several people get pulled over. Yep, they're on the lookout!

I hate to wear the darn things too, but I hate to give the court system my money more!!! Please don't lump the seat belt law with the cell phone situation. Last I checked, your concentration isn't impaired by a seat belt, but these people with a phone glued to their face is an on-going problem.

I agree with Doug, there are too many laws. It is nothing but another money-grab.

A few years back I was getting on the thruway at the Transit Road exit. I pulled up to get my toll card and couldn't reach it because I wasn't close enough. The toll personwouldn't step out 1 step to hand me the card and she said she couldn't step out because of safety reasons. I noticed a man standing inside the booth with a blue coat on. So I unbuckle my seat belt to lean out to get the card and he pipes up "Where's your seat belt?" I laughed because I was still unbelting. He asked me twice and I explained why I had taken it off and THEN he opened his coat to show his badge underneath his jacket. Then he told me to pull off to the side where the other officer was parked (conveniently behind the building). So i pulled up explaind myself, and he just laughed and said "Yea right. Here's your ticket for failure to wear a seat belt." I forget how much it was now, but somewhere's around $85 I think. I tried arguing it in court and the judge said he couldn't do anything with a seat belt ticket, and told me I'd have to contact my lawyer.
With the state broke, it's obvious that safety is not an issue. If a child is not seatbelted in, then fine ticket them. Otherwise it's a choice and if you want to risk your own life, the so be it.

Personal safety is not the only issue with seatbelts. Seatbelts also help keep drivers in a position of control during evasive maneuvers and/or reactions, thus making the person better able to avoid or lessen the impact of a collision. Proper seatbelt use protects you and others. It is not an argument of "my life, my choice" because your choice can and will affect your passengers as well as other motorists. I'm sure someone will pull out the "what if my car is on fire or under water" argument and yes in a few rare cases that may apply but the preponderence of the evidence supports seatbelt use as a greater good safety issue therefore legislating there use fall in line with traffic signals and speed controls.

Jeff, by the time most people make an evasive maneuver, it's too late. Your use of a seat belt doesn't make anyone else safer on the road. I wear a seat belt because I think it's a good idea but I also believe that it should be my choice.

Cory, I also had a similar experience with the thruway troopers at the Henrietta entrance. On my way home from work as I went through the tollbooth, standing out of sight just past it was a trooper looking into every vehicle as they went by.

I'm sorry but I feel that this is totally out of line and and a total disregard for privacy. No, I have nothing to hide but I also don't expect a total stranger to just come up to my vehicle and start staring into it to see what I have or what I'm doing. Badge or no badge, MYOB.

I wonder what a cop would think if I walked up to their vehicle while they were on duty just to inspect what they're doing. I mean, I do pay their wages so it should be my business.

Are they talking on their cell while driving, eating a doughnut or drinking coffee? Of course the police are exempt from the seat belt and cell phone laws because they're "super human and all".

Hmm there is alot of truths to some of these posts.

Quote: "There have been a number of deaths recently that would not have occurred had the victims been wearing their seat belt and shoulder harness," Dibble said in a press release.

Not to disparage the opinion or expertise of anyone in law enforcement but that's an impossible statement to make. They may have died despite wearing a seat belt in the same crash. It's not possible for anyone to know. The probability of them surviving may have been better but people that were wearing their seat belt die in crashes every day.