That's nonsense. Automotive manufacturers were putting seatbelts in since the 50s and most cars came with them as standard equipment by the mid 60s. The federal law merely made it mandatory for all cars in the late 60s.Originally posted by: Craig234
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It's a lesson to be learned about the 'free market rhetoric' to note that the 'free market' was largely opposed to mandatory seat belts in cars. It took the government 'leading the way' for people to get used to the idea that it made sense. But no, we don't want the government doing that a lot. In that case, many thousands of lives a year are saved with no 'real' downside.
This is just wrong. How does this have anything to do with the "free market?"
The free market could put seat belts in all cars, or it could not. You can argue all day how it 'should', but the bottom line is, it resisted doing so after they were invented.
So, it's an example where there was a need for the government to play a role, if this was going to be done, and a lesson in the 'ideology' of the free market vs. facts.
To say the free market rejected or resisted the idea is pure fabrication. It was the free market that brought seatbelts to the American public. It was the American public who were not so hot on the idea.