The debate over face masks during the pandemic sounds a lot like the arguments over seatbelts in the 1980s. We look back at the fight over the balance between individual and public interests. nyti.ms/37dFUMX
Many of the arguments in the debates over seatbelts and masks — they’re uncomfortable or an imposition on personal liberty — reflect similar matters of health and safety, including vaccinations and helmet laws. nyti.ms/37dFUMX 
Seatbelts and helmets are mostly meant to protect an individual, while vaccinations and face masks are also intended to prevent harm from spreading to others. nyti.ms/37dFUMX
Seatbelts saved nearly 15,000 lives of people ages 5 and older in 2018, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. But just as wearing a mask cannot guarantee protection from infection, seatbelts are not foolproof. nyti.ms/37dFUMX
Legislative records, government reports and interviews show how the efforts to draft seatbelt laws have pitted grim fatality statistics against personal complaints about comfort, freedom and efficiency — much like the debate over masks. nyti.ms/37dFUMX
Read more about the decades-long debate over seatbelts by @christineNYT, and how the fight resembles the current discussion about masks during the pandemic. nyti.ms/37dFUMX
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