We Will Still Need Seat Belts, Even In Self-Driving Cars

Dr. Lance Eliot, AI Insider

[Ed. Note: For reader’s interested in Dr. Eliot’s ongoing business analyses about the advent of self-driving cars, see his online Forbes column: https://forbes.com/sites/lanceeliot/]

Seat belts.

Some people love them and feel reassured to be wearing one while inside a moving car.

Others hate them and feel trapped, at times even trying to find clever ways to avoid wearing them.

Grandparents Opinions About Seat Belts

I remember my grandparents telling me when I was young that they normally did not wear a seat belt. They indicated that when Congress passed the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety law in the mid-1960’s making seat belts mandatory in cars, they nearly went to Washington DC to protest. Indeed, they defiantly refused to wear seat belts at all, and made a proud show of disdain for seat belts every time they got into a car.

They had experienced primarily lap belts for most of their driving life.

I vividly recall them buckling all of the lap belts that were in the car and telling any passengers to sit atop the buckled seat belt.

The 3-point belt standard got them further riled up.