You're kidding, right?

Am I? Are you?

Absolutely no question that constitutional rights are more important.

I agree..... There are some right here that don't.

You are very much wrong in your statement above. My 32 year old nephew was driving to work in his 2016 F350 Ford and hit a patch of ice. The truck slid into a 3' ditch and it rolled over on its top. He was wearing his seat belt. When the first responder got there he noticed the child seat in the back seat and saw a bunch of his daughter's toys scattered about. He started looking for the child thinking there was one in the truck there wasn't. It was estimated he had hung there for 10-15 minutes before he was cut down. The responder stated that he thought he was a black man because his face was so blue due to lack of oxygen. His wife and family decided to pull the plug 12 days later. The only thing that kept him in this world for those 12 days was a machine breathing for him. He left a wife and three daughters under 6 years of age when he passed. He was one of the best humans I have ever known. The cause of death was due to lack of oxygen.
The only wounds he had were a scratch on his hand and a bump on his head which knocked him out.

Seat belts save lives. I didn't enforce seat belt laws. But, as Conservation Officer for 30 years, I responded to assist at accidents many times and was the first on scene to one with two fatalities. It was apparent who wasn't wearing seatbelts. A high percentage of fatalities are from being ejected from the vehicle and being crushed. Victimless crimes? Wives, children or other loved ones of the deceased are absolutely victims.

Sad Story: A couple that had both been divorced met and were happily married (they attended the church we did). She brought two teenage boys to the marriage and they had a son that was only a month or two old. The family was all traveling together with her at the wheel when they had a rollover accident. They all survived. But she was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected and was paralyzed from the neck down. Her medical bills caused them to lose the ranch they were buying as she was in the hospital for many weeks and required lots of care after getting out. The family fell apart with her older boys both addicted to drugs.

Choosing to not wear a seatbelt may be a minor violation of law but the consequences should you get in a bad accident without one are often catastrophic, and there are almost always victims (at least back home). The same can be said about whitewater rafting fatalities when they chose not to wear life jackets.

I will also tell you it is traumatic to the officers and first responders that have to deal with the aftermath of these senseless preventable deaths and have to notify loved ones.

Seat belts can be inconvenient and uncomfortable sometimes. But if you want to ride in my vehicle you will wear one -- because I don't want 250 pounds of stupidity rolling around inside the vehicle and breaking my neck in a rollover.

You can argue whether it should be a law or not, but arguments about whether you and your loved ones should wear one is a different matter.

Seat belt laws are not enforced to produce state income, but to save lives. Thousands of lives at that.

Seat belt laws are not designed or enforced to produce state income, but to save lives. Thousands of lives at that.

Good post.

Ha I like that...you don't want 250 lbs of stupid flying around. So true

great post.

And at least a few here actually understand the post.