5 of 30

Yes

Write now Article Tools

Page 2 of 2

is not working, as they have the "corporate" advantage.

What would also truly assist in bringing down costs after at least some effective regulation, would be needed tort reforms - it is the large unlimited medical malpractice awards of the past that are also somewhat responsible for the cost of your medical insurance. Punitive damages on such awards until the Trial Lawyers Association took over the "common law" basis of our court system, were limited to three times the actual proveable damages as punitive damages, with the lawyer getting one third of the entire award. That wasn't enough, so the trial lawyers association went state to state and got those caps and lids removed. That is also when doctors began leaving the private practice field, and HMOs and "corporate" health care networks and practices took the place of the family doctor, and has negatively impacted the doctor/patient relationship enjoyed up until that point, as most who have lived through this progression can attest.

On pure Constitutional legal grounds, the "Click it or Ticket" program, and those primary seat belt laws are unconstitutional, and a federal usurpation of powers it was never intended to have in the slightest. The insurance companies do have the option of limiting coverage or benefits to claims involving those who were not wearing them. But the federal government has no right to be their paid "enforcers" or to be profiting from this, to the point now where low level DUIs and seat belt laws have made the police no more than revenue collectors for the federal, state and city governments, while property and violent crimes continue to rise. No one is now patrolling our neighborhoods anymore, unless you are wealthy enough to afford your own security patrol. It's a lot easier duty writing those seat belt tickets, than patrolling the city streets in most major metropolitan cities, and the off duty paid now to those officers for their primary responsibilities of the past, patrolling city streets and neighborhoods, is being shifted again to the private citizens whose property, sales and other taxes were levied for just such reasons.

There also have been many cases, especially with accidents involving explosions, when actually wearing a seat belt resulted in death. Since the early 90's all automobiles have been equipped with air bags, and their are laws with respect to car seats and restraint systems for children, so with all the true problems this nation faces, deaths related to lack of seat belt use would seem to be far down the list. We need our officers patrolling neighborhoods once again, not as "seat belt" revenue collectors, using binoculars to harass the citizenry.

Learn more about this author, Linda Gehring.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

• << previous page
• 1
• 2

Add your voice

Know something about Do mandatory seat belt laws violate individual rights??
We want to hear your view. Write now!