For those who do not know, I am from New Hampshire. New Hampshire is a state with a tradition of having few laws restricting personal freedoms, as you can see in the state motto, “Live free or die.” This protection of personal freedom extends to seat belt laws. The only people required to wear a seat belt in the state of New Hampshire are those under the age of 18. As long as you are 18 or older, you can ride in or drive a motor vehicle without a seat belt. Currently, New Hampshire is the only state without a law requiring seat belt use for people 18 and older.
Personally, I agree with the seat belt laws in New Hampshire. I believe that if anyone 18 or older wants to put their life in harm’s way by not wearing a seat belt, more power to them. They are not endangering anyone else by not wearing a seat belt, so why should the government be able to say no? At the same time, anyone who isn’t 18+ should be required to buckle up. Although there are mature minors out there, none of us should be allowed to make that decision. Most of us simply aren’t mature enough to make a decision that could get us killed. If it was legal for kids to not wear seat belts, it would present a major problem. Given the number of teen drivers who crash each year, the potential for a lot of severe injuries or deaths is present. Once you are 18, you can legally smoke, which is life threatening, so why shouldn’t you be able to drive without a seat belt?
Minors are simply not mature enough to be allowed to drive or ride in a motor vehicle without a seat belt. Once you are 18, you are legally allowed to make your own decisions and are able to endanger yourself in other ways, so why shouldn’t you be able to drive or ride without restraints?