A seat belt is a restraining device installed in vehicles as a safety harness and/or strap that securely holds its passenger(s) during the application of extreme pressure. Seat belts are manufactured to minimize and even prevent the force of an injury in the event of a vehicular crash. In the United States, an immense division currently exists between those who believe that the seat belt should be an option and those who believe it to be a requirement. A majority of those who defend the option to wear seat belts in automobiles and other forms of transportation do so mainly because they believe that it infringes upon their individual rights. Contrastly, those who advocate for universal seat belt regulation do so in order to create the safest…show more content… The main difference among the seatbelt laws in the states is the actual type of enforcement. Many states have switched their type of enforcement from secondary to primary, or vice versa, providing yet another variation in regulation. The effects that primary enforcement have on the higher seat belt usage rates represent the increase of usage when restrictions and penalties are placed on those who do not choose to abide by the law. In concurrence with the influence of primary enforcement on seat belt usage rates, secondary enforcement also increases the overall usage, but not by as large a percentage. With that being said, it is the role of the Federal Government to encourage states to adopt further primary enforcement as well as increasing secondary enforcement to maintain stability. The Federal Government's role in seat belt regulation has become increasingly controversial. As previously stated, many believe that seat belt laws infringe upon individual rights. This controversy is comparably similar to that of the Second Amendment or regulations regarding cigarettes. With such similarities to other important mandations in our nation’s history, the Federal Government will probably allow individual states to mandate their own seat belt laws, as with many other
