Do seatbelt checks along a state highway in town help lower fatalities, or are they just a major pain in the rear and irritant to drivers?
This morning Woodstock PD had three police cars and five officers assigned to a seatbelt detail on Route 47, north of McConnell Road.
The stated purpose of this "initiative" is driver education.
Wouldn't an electronic sign on the roadway shoulder reading, "Fasten your seatbelt NOW" have much the same driver educational value? And it would be a whole lot cheaper for the police department and for the drivers.
How much is a seatbelt ticket these days? $50? $75?
What do you think? Should seatbelt violations be a Primary Enforcement law?
7 comments:
My seatbelt is broken... well, I cut it with my bowie knife one evening when I was too drunk to undo the clasp. Doh.
IMHO, I do not disagree with belts saving lives... they do most of the time. However it is an invasion of privacy for officers to be "look'n" inside for this type of "violation". I have the right to "choose", and the politicians are taking more & more of our choices away. Seat belt laws are to keep "paying taxpayers" alive so the govts can collect their dues.
Next thing they'll take away is our right to paint our fingernails while driving... or worse yet- our right to drink beer while speeding. Wait, I think they took care of that one already. DOH!
I understand it being mandatory for children to be belted in, however, I have a major problem with the seatbelt law for adults.
My not wearing a seatbelt doesn't hurt anyone else on the road, and quite frankly, none of anyones business. It's another excuse to bring in more money, or give an officer a reason to pull you over and get into your business ...It's not your personal safety their worried about, it's about control.
If it really is about personal safety, why then was I given a ticket when I WAS wearing a belt, but had it pulled down below my ample breasts (to avoid wrinkling of my work clothes)? I do have an air bag, and the belt was ON. Ohhhh NOT PROPERLY ... ok. Their concern was soooo touching! So touching, I suppose I should feel somewhat honored to be late for work and pay the fine, or lose a days pay to appear in court and pay outrageous court costs to fight it.
I ask you .... why does anyone give a rats a$$ whether I wear a belt or not?????
I agree that it should be our choice, we know what the consequences are. What I find ironic is that in Illinois a motorcycle rider is not required to wear a helmet!?
Stingray, that's because people who ride motorcycles fight back long and hard to preserve their rights and don't feel it's necessary to impose their will on everyone else.
The dumbing down of America ... Most people (sheep) in cars believe all the propaganda (like good little mindless sheep) about their safety and don't have the desire or capability to think for themselves. They don't think past getting in, click in, check how many bars on the cell phone, secure the Starbucks in the handy cup holder, and continue on to the job to keep paying those taxes to support the criminals pocketing your money "legally".
Land of the free? My ass.
Every time I see a new rock chip in my helmet, I'm glad the helmet was between the rock and my scalp.
I'd prefer no law about helmets, and I think it is incredibly stupid to ride without one.
Same with seatbelts. In spite of one having saved my life (before they were routinely installed in cars), I do not favor the Primary Enforcement law. On the other hand, since 40% of the fatalities in Illinois involved drunk drivers, I do have concerns about the safety of innocent people into whose paths drunks might enter.
I also know of a couple of instances where NOT wearing a seatbelt saved a life.
Helmets? Same thing. It should be the choice of the person in control of their own life.
I believe that we should have a Constitutional amendment that no law shall be made that prevents conduct that does not directly harm another person, in some real tangible way.
I'm just really tired of a rule for everything.
Post a Comment