While that may have been apparent to most reasonable people, it may not have been to those who fought for years against enacting a sensible, mandatory seat belt law in South Carolina. Recent statistics, however, are irrefutable.

The law requiring people to buckle up while in moving vehicles went into effect in December. The first six months of the year show highway fatalities have decreased 14 percent over the same period in 2005.

The seat belt law is the only factor that could have been responsible for such a dramatic decrease in fatalities. The quality of roads did not change. The General Assembly has provided funding for more state troopers, but we won't see the results of that for months.

It has to be the seat belt law.

Perhaps the only fault of the law is its lack of teeth. Offenders face a maximum fine of $25.

Lawmakers did, however, increase the fine from $25 to $150 for parents who fail to properly restrain their children in cars. Gov. Mark Sanford vetoed that bill, claiming that the law is too invasive of parental responsibility, but the Legislature overrode the veto.

But even with slap-on-the-wrist penalties, the law apparently is motivating drivers to buckle up. People may feel compelled to obey the law even if the punishment for disobeying it is minimal. More people also may have come to realize that wearing seat belts can save their lives.

Buckling up for many is a matter of habit. Once learned, it is a hard habit to break. Better yet, parents who routinely buckle up are likely to instill the habit in their children. The net result: Fewer highway fatalities.

And to those who stood in the way of a mandatory seat belt law, we told you so.

IN SUMMARY
It should come as no surprise that South Carolina's seat belt law has reduced fatalities.