Why car seat belts should be a law - Essay Example

Research suggests that making seat belt use a primary offense does not result in reduced death rates, enforcement of law to wear seat belts in the car can adversely influence behavior, and risk is an individual factor, hence enforcement of seat belts only affect the external behavior posing higher risk to others including cyclists, pedestrian and other drivers. Proponents of imposing penalties for not using seat belts claim that increasing penalties increases the usage of seat belts, studies suggest otherwise.

Even though states treating seal belt usage a primary offense reported that seat belt was used 74% of the times and those as a secondary offense reported usage at 61% times, these data do not prove that usage of seat belts has led to decreased traffic injuries and fatalities. No jurisdiction that has passed a seat belt law has shown evidence of a reduction in road accident deaths (Kopel, 1999). It is important to note that some people wear seat belt with or without enforcement of law. In 1996 in New York, when non usage of seat belt was a primary offense, it was observed that despite 74% usage, 46% of its fatally injured car occupants were wearing seat belts.

In Iowa, with 75% usage of seat belts 50% of its fatally injured car occupants were wearing seat belts. Wyoming had no primary law enforcing seat belt usage but 72% usage was reported. Thus, these data amply suggest that imposing penalties and treating seat belt usage a primary offense has not known to reduce accidents. Secondly, people would use seat belt even if no law is enforced. Enforcement of law to use seat belt in the car can adversely affect human behavior. In a study, when subjects who normally did not wear seat belts, were asked to do SO, they were found to drive faster, followed closely and braked later (Kopel).

People who are naturally cautious would wear seat belts voluntarily. When reckless people are forced to wear seat belts, they drive more recklessly. According to Robertson,