Seat Belts

[camosgurl0820]

So I found out the other day my MIL got a seat belt violation and it got me thinking about the current law. Now bear with me on this one here. I always wear my seatbelt and I am a firm believer that kids of all ages should be in a seatbelt or appropriate restraining seat however I started thinking about bikers. Now in my state (SC) it's optional to wear your helmet except if you are military and in uniform or on base etc etc. Thinking about a car the best life saving device is your seatbelt.....on a motorcycle the best life saving device is your helmet. Now why, do the lawmakers say that if you are caught riding without a seatbelt you get a ticket but it's ok not to wear your helmet on a bike??

My father is a biker, he wears his helmet and I know all the reasons why you wouldn't want to wear a helmet but think about it, you may be the safest driver/biker in the world yet you get hit by some nut who's not paying attention that helmet, like a seatbelt in a car, could mean the difference between life and death. Talking with my MIL she says that if it's optional for bikers to wear their safety device then it should be optional for her to wear her safety device in a car. I understand that when a law is made you need to follow it regardless how you feel about it. The seatbelt law within the past 5 years or so was altered to say that you can be pulled over for not wearing your seatbelt and not be doing anything else wrong. What makes a motorcycle so much more different than a car/van/truck that the laws are so different?

We tell our children that when they ride their peddle bike that they need to wear a helmet and knee pads/elbow pads and what kind of example does that convey if someone is riding a motorcycle and they're not wearing their helmet? I know to each his own but I will always be confused as to why a motorcycle and a car have two seperate laws.