Back Seat Seatbelts

[Ash]

I have a buddy who's notorious for not wearing his seatbelt.  He seems to think that because I've known him for over 15 years, that exempts him from wearing his seatbelt.
I tell him to wear it or get out of my car and that I'm not gonna have his death on my conscience if he goes through the windshield.
He always grudgingly complies.

About eleven years ago I was in a car accident with a different friend and his girlfriend.
It was pouring down rain and we hydroplaned into the back of an Oldsmobile at about 45-50 mph.  The impact completely destroyed the front of my car and it went directly to the junkyard.
About 30 seconds before the accident, Alicia, who was sitting in the backseat suggested that Matt & I put our seatbelts on.
We clicked them on and about 20 seconds later, impacted the other car.
Had we not been wearing them, both Matt & I probably would've gone through the windshield and none of you here on this board would ever have known me.
Instead, Matt and I both had big seatbelt burns on our necks from where the belts impacted and tightened.  Mine was on the left side of my neck.  Matt's was on his right.

I credit both Alicia and those seatbelts with saving our lives.

Alicia was in the backseat and wasn't wearing her belt.  She was thrown forward and sideways and banged her hip pretty badly on the hard plastic center console.  The bruise on her hip didn't go away for several weeks and she complained of pain there long after the bruise went away.
She was lucky.

That brings me to my point:
I believe wearing seatbelts should be mandatory in the backseat of all passenger vehicles.
I once saw something on TV (20/20, I think) about how the chances of a fatality skyrocketed when the passengers in the rear seat aren't belted in.  They said that the person in the back seat is thrown forward and impacts anything up front with a force of something like 2 tons.
That's scary.  

I make all of my passengers wear their seatbelts when they ride in the back seat of my car. 
They always laugh, think I'm joking and ask, "Are you serious!?"
Yes, I am serious, and if they don't like it, they can exit the vehicle.
I always point out to them that I'm looking out for their safety and that I care whether they live or die.
Just like my buddy, they always grudgingly comply.

What do you think?
Should wearing seatbelts be mandatory in the back seats of cars?

[Sister Grace]

Okay, I'm  a bit of a hypocrite when it comes to wearing a seatbelt. Whenever Isabela and I go anywhere, I wear my seatbelt and refuse to leave the drive way before she puts hers on. However, when I'm by myself in the car a lot of times i'll slip by and not wear it...

[Jack]

I live in Minnesota, and it's mandatory for front seat passengers to wear seatbelts, but not rear set passengers.  Unless they're under 11 years of age.  As far as I'm concerned, it's up to them.  Personally I always wear my seatbelt.  But if other people don't want to, that's their business.

[RCMerchant]

I don't think so...but I'm not sure.

[ghouck]

In AK you have to wear one no matter what. I don't feel right not having it on. If an adult doesn't want to wear one, well I think they should be allowed to do what they want, despite the fact that it's one of the stupidest things a person can do, and I hate the ignorant arguments against wearing one. The part that makes it intrusive is say you do make a mistake and cause an accident. If you mildly hurt the other person who was wearing their belt, you surely should be held accountable. BUT, same mistake, same accident and they DIDN'T wear a belt, should you be responsible you extensive injuries they could have avoided? I have a problem with that, just like I don't believe someone should have to pay $20,000 to repair an exotic paintjob due to a door ding because some idiot decided they had to have that exotic paintjob, then leave the car in public where it's vulnerable. The punishment should fit the infraction, not some escalated cost someone else made possible of their own free will.

[Rev. Powell]

I didn't realize there were any states that distinguished between the front and back seats in terms of wearing seatbelts.

Presonally, I always wear mine.  But I hate the nanny-state that tells me I have to.  In principle, adults should make their own choices, and take the responsibility for their own stupidity.   

[ChuckSplatt]

More deaths with no rear seatbelts = higher insurance premiums for everyone else still alive.

[ghouck]

In principle, adults should make their own choices, and take the responsibility for their own stupidity.   

I agree, but it's not that simple. If someone is hurt in a wreck, and they were not wearing a seat belt, how is it decided how much of the blame they carry for their own injuries, and how much to the other driver? That's one of the reasons for many of the laws we have: People often do not take that responsibility unless they are forced to do so. As much as I hate to admit it, the general public is better off with insurance being mandatory, because many people just weren't taking responsibility for their own actions, neither by opting for insurance on their own nor by getting themselves into a position where they could cover their own liabilities.

[Jim H]

In principle, adults should make their own choices, and take the responsibility for their own stupidity.   

I agree, but it's not that simple. If someone is hurt in a wreck, and they were not wearing a seat belt, how is it decided how much of the blame they carry for their own injuries, and how much to the other driver? That's one of the reasons for many of the laws we have: People often do not take that responsibility unless they are forced to do so. As much as I hate to admit it, the general public is better off with insurance being mandatory, because many people just weren't taking responsibility for their own actions, neither by opting for insurance on their own nor by getting themselves into a position where they could cover their own liabilities.

There's one other issue.  If you're driving without wearing a seat belt, you're far more likely to be incapacitated after a collision with a vehicle that is still moving.  Essentially, if you're driving without wearing a seat belt and get in an accident, there's a significant chance the accident will end up far worse for OTHER people than it would have if you'd been wearing your seat belt the whole time.  This point was driven home for me when I saw a car get hit from the side, it spun somewhat, and the driver was knocked silly due to a lack of a seat belt and ended up going into oncoming traffic.  If he'd been wearing a belt, odds are he could have maintained control, or at least been able to slam on the brakes.

For this reason, I don't have much of a problem with seat belts being required for drivers.  However, I do disagree with the motorcycle helmet requirement, which doesn't have such justification, or the rear and passenger seat requirements.

[Jack]

Just noticed this on the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety page:

Analysis of federal crash data found that when rear passengers sitting directly behind the driver skip the seat belt, they triple their odds of dying in a head-on crash and double the odds that the driver will be killed.

[trekgeezer]

All I know is that my family always used their seat belts.  Our two kids stayed in booster seats until they were big enough look out the windows without them.  They would raise holy hell if the car started rolling and someone wasn't buckled up.

We all do it without even thinking about it. I actually fee vulnerable when I have to ride without one. 

[ghouck]

However, I do disagree with the motorcycle helmet requirement, which doesn't have such justification, or the rear and passenger seat requirements.

Every bit of data gathered says otherwise. Minor motorcycle crashes without a helmet become big injuries, plainly and simply. I've seen TONS of helmets that were brutally damaged and the user walked away, knowing full well that a skull wouldn't have fared so well, let alone all the things attached to a skull such as ears, noses. There's a reason you NEVER see someone riding a motorcycle in a sport and not wearing a helmet, or ever thinking about arguing against it. I saw a guy (or rather the aftermath of) dump his bike over while rolling it backwards out of his parking space and he was knocked unconscious. He hadn't put his helmet on yet, yet I've seen helmets take a much harder hit and not show any visible damage. Knocked unconscious = trauma to the brain.

[Psycho Circus]

'Tis the law here in Megacity 1. Otherwise Dredd would Drokk our asses! 

[Doggett]

'Tis the law here in Megacity 1. Otherwise Dredd would Drokk our asses! 

Good Grud, man.
 

[MilkManPictures]

It's so ingrained in me that I don't even think about it anymore... Get in car and it's on.