My guess from your handle is that you weren’t around in ‘86. The spillover from the Reagan years was not a time of ideological unity in California and support of the new law from all stakeholders is not how I remember it.
Conservatives (I was a conservative leaning moderate at the time) decried “the nanny state” and police objected to enforcing it. The law was eventually made a “secondary” offense to get their grudging support meaning police wouldn’t pull people over BECAUSE of seatbelt non-compliance but could cite them for it if they were pulled over for some other offense. (That was change ~5 years later.)
Still worked. I see lots of parallels to today but also remember California was more politically divided then - We were a prized swing state. Wise legislation can be effective in moving public opinion.
If interested in the impact of secondary/primary legislation and seatbelt laws check this out. (Graph of California compliance showing ‘85 through change to primary enforcement.)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/core/lw/2.0...p261f1.jpg
Conservatives (I was a conservative leaning moderate at the time) decried “the nanny state” and police objected to enforcing it. The law was eventually made a “secondary” offense to get their grudging support meaning police wouldn’t pull people over BECAUSE of seatbelt non-compliance but could cite them for it if they were pulled over for some other offense. (That was change ~5 years later.)
Still worked. I see lots of parallels to today but also remember California was more politically divided then - We were a prized swing state. Wise legislation can be effective in moving public opinion.
If interested in the impact of secondary/primary legislation and seatbelt laws check this out. (Graph of California compliance showing ‘85 through change to primary enforcement.)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/core/lw/2.0...p261f1.jpg
In 1938 Neville Chamberlain declared "Peace in our time", Superman first appeared in Action Comics, Seabiscuit beat War Admiral ....... and C.a.l last won the Rose Bowl.