Dealing with Complexity
Hello, everyone, my name is (). Welcome to the program. Today, we are addressing the topic “Dealing with Complexity.” The first thing to address is ethics and will be done through audio segments as podcasts. The main topic of discussion is seat belts. This topic is not as simple as it looks; it is a very complex and broad outlook. The government passes laws that affect us on a daily basis. The use of seat belts in most states is mandatory, and people are held responsible for breaking the laws where the penalty can be a fine or jail time. Many are the circumstances where traffic police will fine for not fastening the belts or having them in your car.
There are many sources that have addressed the issue. According to Mendoza (2019), the US has only one state that does not have seatbelt mandates. Every contributor in the industry, starting from manufacturers to insurers, to the car owners, to the passengers, is expected to play their role on seat belt fastening, and failure will attract penalties. According to the study, these regulations undermine the autonomy of the individuals, and the social cost for adhering is high in addition to health concerns. Additionally, Jermakian & Weast (2018) study suggested that the rate of people to fully use the belt, especially in hired or public vehicles, was minimal. According to the study, people fail to fasten their belts due to forgetfulness, discomfort, and inconveniences. The study suggests that increasing the chances of people to fasten their seatbelts will not be increased by inputting more strict laws but should be done through a multifaceted approach.
According to research, more than 60% of people using cars, especially personal care, fastens their belt. However, there is the 40% of people who feel the laws are too much and people should be given enough freedom to choose what they do with their property. This law seems unethical at first, but it actually has ethical consequences. There are people who oppose this law and raise questions, especially the government’s intervention on people’s personal life and property. According to them, the government has no right to invade citizen’s personal decisions about their property? Philosopher Thomas Hobbes believes that people have various contracts with the government, and they do not know or do not understand the terms of most contracts. For example, when one drives a car, part of his responsibilities is to fasten seat belts. This is a law passed by the government, and everyone should follow it. On the other hand, if you do not follow the law, you will have to pay a fine. So, can we choose what to follow correctly? Do seat belts protect us? Yes, the government has passed these laws for human security. All drivers must use seat belts to maintain government contracts. (Williams, G.n.d.). In my opinion, if you do the right thing, you can change the whole world. In today’s vast technology world, seat belt laws are mandatory and are necessary. There are many people who have walked from car accidents just because they complied with the law about safety and fastening the seat belt.
References:
Jermakian, J. S., & Weast, R. A. (2018). Passenger use of and attitudes toward rear seat belts. Journal of safety research, 64, 113-119.
Mendoza, R. L. (2019, April). Why any seatbelt mandate is an infinitely iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma: a health economics perspective. In Forum for Social Economics (Vol. 48, No. 2, pp. 194-215). Routledge.
Motilal, S. (Ed.). (2010). Applied ethics and human rights : Conceptual analysis and contextual applications. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.library.capella.ed