Earlier this week, lawmakers in North Carolina concluded that all passengers need to buckle up—even in the back seat.

According to an AP story, supporters of the bill have cited "immeasurable cost" to society when unbuckled back seat riders are seriously injured. Unbuckled passengers, they said, could fly forward and injure front seat occupants during an accident, thus increasing medical costs and auto insurance premiums.

Opponents of the bill said that choice was becoming a "dwindled asset" for North Carolina adults.

"We are faced with a bill that says government can make the decisions for you," said Senate Minority Leader, Phil Berger. "We continue to see an erosion of our personal freedoms."

The bill, which will be sent to the governor for his signature, makes being unbuckled in the back seat a secondary violation, which means that law enforcement can't stop a vehicle solely for a seat belt violation. If the driver is pulled over for another reason, back seat passengers could face a $10 fine.

While I don't exactly know the extent to which North Carolina residents are experiencing a loss of choice, I do advocate the back seat buckle. Increased car insurance rates aside, for the sake of safety, it seems like a no-brainer if you do in fact like your brain.

Check out the AP story courtesy of the Insurance Journal and let me know what you think.