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No seat belt laws do not violate individual rights. A government which is of the people, by the people and for the people, such as that in the United States, has an obligation to protect its citizens by developing laws designed for their benefit. The seat belt law is just such a law. Let us not forget how the law came about. Many of our citizens were being killed in automobile accidents by being thrown from a vehicle and then that vehicle rolling over them, killing them instantly. When the numbers became unacceptable, congress (who we voted into office, remember?) decided to look at the problem and see if there was someway they could reduce those deaths. Knowing they couldn't reduce the number of accidents, they decided to look at ways to reduce fatalities. The seat belt law was the least expensive and most comprehensive law they could develop. All recent model cars have seat belts in them, they are a good deterrent of being thrown out of a car when struck or out of control. It is a good law, developed for the good of our citizens, and it is painless too. How difficult is it to buckle up a seat belt? Since when has individual comfort become more important than saving lives? The seat belt law was not designed to take away individual rights but to save lives. It is a misdemeanor law, not a felony, yet it is getting people to buckle up just because it was developed, therefore, reducing traffic deaths from when there was no such law. I always buckled up before the law, just because I did want that extra measure of safety. Unfortunately, not everyone is of the same mind set, that is why the law is in place and it has had a positive effect on others.

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