History.com: When New Seat Belt Laws Drew Fire as a Violation of Personal Freedom

The 1980s battle over safety belt laws reflected widespread ambivalence over the role and value of government regulation. Drivers and passengers complained that seat belts were uncomfortable and restrictive, but the uproar over mandatory seat belt laws was mostly ideological. One of Hollister's colleagues in the Michigan House called the seat belt bill "a pretty good lesson in mass hysteria created by a corporate-controlled media" and warned that the government would outlaw smoking next. Another said that anyone who voted for the bill should be recalled.