Conversely, I & others I know have been involved in accidents where the only thing that saved us, and years of facial reconstructive surgery were seat belts.

It's all well and good to say that the key to not needing a seatbelt is to avoid an accident. Thank you captain obvious. If that were possible though, there'd be no accidents. Nobody (well, very few people) are driving around trying to get into an accident.

It's also impossible to avoid an accident where on a blind intersection somebody sails through a stop sign and you plow into the side of them at 70mph. This shit happens, it's unavoidable sometimes. And if you think a seatbelt won't help you in that instance, you're insane. Flying through the windscreen and bouncing down the road at that speed isn't something I fancy doing. Nor is being thrown from the car and having it roll over the top of me. Or even smashing my face into the dashboard at that kind of velocity. I'd rather a couple of broken ribs.

Furthermore, it DOES have an impact on others. Family. Friends. A&E crews. Do you think peeling your carcass off a nearby tree isn't going to fuck with the guy who has to do it? Serious injuries take beds from hospitals, take surgeons from people who need them, make insurance premiums go up for everybody. Do you think the next 40 years of care and being fed through a tube isn't going to cost an insurance company, or the government, a fuckload of money? Imagine all the people that need to be involved, from family and friends wiping your ass to the nurses that are being distracted from others who could've used them.

What do you think that does to everybody else?

The fact that you're inconsiderate enough to think your actions don't affect others astounds me. I can't stand people who only think about themselves.