I just wanted to make sure my friendly neighborhood libertarian, Greg, saw this item from Minnesota 2020 (republished at MinnPost).
We all know that Minnesota is the state where absolutely nothing is allowed, a benighted place in oppressive thrall, to quote a recent online post, to “all this busybody namby-pamby Big Brother regulation.”
But let’s check that conventional wisdom against reality, starting with a new report that found the Gopher State’s traffic safety laws tied for fourth loosest in the country. According to the Emergency Nurses Association, 44 states and the District of Columbia – among them Alabama, Mississippi, Wyoming and even the “Live Free or Die” state of New Hampshire — are more restrictive of liberty than Minnesota in pursuit of reduced carnage on public roads.
Conrad deFiebre specifically calls out lax regulation regarding motorcycle helmets, booster seats for kids, and seat belts, and point out the rather large cost to the public of treating victims of injuries caused by a failure to utilize some of these safety measures.
That no-GPS-on-the-dashboard law is still stupid, though.
One Comment
Eh. 4 of the 10 are GDL for early drivers. One’s for breathalizers for hardcore drinking offenders. IMO, this scorecard is manufactured PR and doesn’t really rate that high in my book.
Isn’t it true we have a law for bicycle helmets and not motorcycle helmets? Now that’s crazy.
Here’s my take: Dear Parents, buckle up yourselves and kids and don’t rely on the government to tell you or enforce you to do so.