All of my family started using seatbelts always because the tiny bit of inconvenience of buckling it is nothing compared to the injuries or deaths that may be the result of not wearing a seatbelt.  I would certainly be dead if I didn't always use a seatbelt.  (The shoulder strap broke my clavicle, so think of the result if it had not been there.)  And I spent 2 months in a rehab center (after 3 weeks in the hospital) with other car wreck victims.  I at least can walk and take care of myself again; not all of them will ever be able to.  And families are also involved.  And what about the driver of a car that is at fault in an accident if the other person(s) die?  They have to live with that, even if the people would have had only minor injuries if they'd been wearing seatbelts.

In general, I am willing to let other people do whatever they want, including killing themselves however they like, as long as it does not hurt others.  As Sevein says, cars and traffic are not the same as in earlier days of cars.  The results of a car crash are much greater than they were.  Would you also wish to be able to have a car without airbags, anti-lock brakes, etc., and that puts the engine into the front seat in a crash?  That used to happen.

I'm watching this thread with the same fascination one watches a train wreck in progress ... I have no business looking, but somehow it is hard not to.

Why a group of adults would spend their time bewailing the iniquity of having to wear a protective device is beyond me. But the donkey rides caught my attention :-D. At least you may be deriving some pleasure from donkey rides (unless you are the donkey). I am fully in favor of adults (!) being allowed to donkey-ride as they please. I am also fully in favor of raising their insurance premiums (or those for the provider of the activity) as seems indicated by the actuary's table. I am already being charged more by the color of my car, my gender and my age, so why not? We did not say that freedom came free, did we?

So, hypothetically, would you accept this solution? You have to pay cash for any medical (or other emergency) care. Or you opt into an insurance system (public or private, your pick). If you opt for insurance, we will track whether you are wearing your seatbelt (little tracker device in your car). Non-compliance is allowed, but comes with a 5,000% premium increase (only fair, right). If you opt for cash we will leave you by the roadside if payment could not be verified. Hey, you knew what you signed up for, to quote Jerry. Free enough?

I will leave everybody to decide if this is a better world :-). Or you could just "click it".

Ben Nevis:" I'm for freedom of thought and action as long as one's actions don't harm anyone else"

That's the whole point, isn't it? Irresponsible actions hurt other people, in many different ways, as people have posted here. - it's a no-brainer, surely?

I'm not in favour of curtailing anyone's freedom of thought or action, but here we're talking of a simple, effective measure which can and does save lives. If the original poster's mother had had to brake suddenly when he was standing up in the front seat, it may be that we wouldn't be having this discussion today.

For the same reason I think fines for driving while using a mobile phone should be increased tenfold and licences revoked. sure it's not hurting anyone - until it does and wrecks other, innocent lives.