TO THE EDITOR:
I am not inclined to transform Automotive News into a legal treatise; cars are exciting, Constitutional law not as much.
Roger Sears' letter ("Let's be sure about vaccine mandates," Aug. 9) missed the mark, saying that "forcing vaccinations" steps all "over our individual liberties." He referenced assembly plants. U.S. automobile manufacturers are not government or democratic entities. Except for anti-discrimination laws, many "freedoms and rights" do not apply. One is allowed to badmouth the government; try that with National Motors and see what happens.
We can all agree that we love anything on wheels with a motor. So, by analogy, cars and liberties. West's 2021 edition of the Illinois vehicle code is 664 pages and growing. One can't do Zoom on a handheld electronic device while tooling down DuSable Lakeshore Drive. Driving while chemically impaired? Forget it. Drivers are required to wear clothes in public topped off with safety belts. In Illinois, police make us drive on the right side of the road.
These laws are enforced to protect everyone's right to enjoy driving. Yes, we lose some "freedoms"; in exchange we ALL gain safety, predictability and stability. The same applies to COVID vaccines.
LAWRENCE NECHELES
Pontiac, Ill.
The writer is a traffic and trucking defense attorney and a hearing officer for the city of Pontiac who presides over vehicle seizure and impound hearings.
