I agree with you overall. I guess part of the issue is that common sense isn't common and the government steps in because of pressure from those who are loudest about whatever direction it should go. If enough mothers lobbied for mandatory laws regarding doing X because Y happens and they make up enough of the voting block, then said laws are going to be on the books. Whether it is effective or not, whether it saves people or not, whether it actually is a good idea or not. A lot of things happen because of feelings or emotions tied to certain outcomes and the general pressure to "do something" about it. If every adult thought the way you do and many, and just wore a seatbelt regardless, there probably wouldn't be a law specifically about it. But enough people didn't, it caused a lot of emotions because of said deaths, then someone lobbied. And I suppose to live in some kind of society, you need to accept some compromises since it's very hard to be totally free like in the State of Nature at this point.