New Hampshire is the only state in the country that does NOT mandate seatbelt use for adults. But the same folks who said a handsfree device ban would make the roads safer (it did not) are looking once more at imposing a mandatory seat belt use law for Adults
As always, I remind you that I wear a seatbelt by choice. My wife does, all my kids do – whether driving or as a passenger. That’s what we do. Feels weird to me if I’m not using it. You can and should do whatever works for you.
Democrat legislators on the other hand (and more than a few Republicans) feel the State has some obligation to make you. They claim it’s for your own good. But statistically, there’s no proof. While seat belts may save lives (I said may), seat belt laws do not. Even where they have them, and people ignore them.
Back in 2012, I did a regional analysis that proved New Hampshire was no more or less safe (leaning slightly toward more) without mandatory use.
In 2017 we published a chart showing seat belt laws and use-by-state to which we added some much-needed statistics.
Massachusetts has the fewest fatal accidents both per 100,000 of the population and per million vehicle miles traveled. Both Vermont and New Hampshire rank in the top ten safest in these categories with New Hampshire, which has no seat belt law for those 18 years old and up, consistently ranking in the top 5 for lowest fatalities.
Once again, mandated use was not an indicator of fewer vehicle fatalities. But the mandate advocates are still at it.
Democratic lawmakers are once again looking to challenge New Hampshire’s status as the sole state without a seat belt law for adults.
Rep. George Sykes, D-Lebanon, recently announced plans to introduce a bill in the 2020 legislative session requiring drivers to buckle up. He’s been followed by Rep. Skip Cleaver, D-Nashua, who also intends to sponsor legislation mandating the use of seat belts.
“It will clearly save lives. It’s been shown to save lives,” Sykes, chairman of the House Transportation Committee, said in an interview on Friday.
In individual circumstances choosing to wear a seat belt has both saved lives and ended them. But on the whole, there is no proof that making adults wear seatbelts will reduce vehicle-related fatalities.
As noted above, the same caste of ideologues swore up and down that banning the use of handheld devices would lower vehicle-related deaths. We got the opposite.
As for seatbelts, not all Democrats are on board. Those that are, appear to be the worst sort. They insist they are doing this to save lives. As if that’s a job for which they are qualified.
Your gun-grabbing brethren in Baltimore and Detroit and Chicago say that about the restrictive gun laws they passed. It will save lives. It’s done the opposite.
And while it is an imperfect comparison closer to home, your record is no better. There is zero evidence that denying people the right to touch a cell phone while driving has saved any lives in New Hampshire. Where seatbelt use as a choice has zero impact on the lives of any other driver or passenger outside their vehicle based on that choice.
Why can’t you leave people alone?
Well, there was always Federal transportation dollars available if New Hampshire “buckles” to the busy-body left. Do you see it now? It has nothing at all to do with public safety and everything to do with milking another taxpayer cow.
Correction: It’s a big one too. Opening sentence. NH is the only state that does NOT mandate seatbelt use. Doh!
