[Honclfibr]

I agree with mandatory seatbelt laws for children under X years of age (18 seems to be the agreed upon "age of adulthood" so fine then, 18). Children do not have the experience to properly process the risks inherent in the world around them, and must be forcibly sheltered from those risks until they have the necessary experience to make informed decisions. If the parents cannot make the correct decision in the best interest of the child (which is, indisputably, for the child to wear a seatbelt), then the state should step in; children should not suffer for the irresponsibility of their parents when at all possible.

I disagree with mandatory seatbelt laws (and, while we're at it, mandatory helmet laws) for people over the age of consent. If you've lived in this world for long enough to recognize that driving a car without a seatbelt (/ riding a motorcyle without a helmet) is a dangerous activity, and still wish to do so, that should be your right.

As a corollary, I support the refusal of federal funds to maintain the health of those adults who suffer injuries in an accident that could have been prevented by wearing a seatbelt / helmet, etc but who chose not to. If you have secured medical insurance to pay for your vegetative state resulting from travelling through the windshield of your car at 65 mph without a seatbelt, good for you. If not, sorry, we're going to have to pull the plug. We told you it was dangerous, you didn't listen and you didn't purchase medical insurance despite having 18+ years to consider the facts about not wearing a seatbelt/helmet. Not our problem, better luck next life.