Seat belts save lives. We know it’s true, the statistics are irrefutable.

The people who oppose seat belt requirements generally do so on ideological grounds: The government shouldn’t tell people how to live; we don’t need a nanny state.

Sometimes we do. Common sense should tell us all that we’re better off wearing seat belts. Nonetheless, the state estimates 41 percent of people don’t wear their seat belts. That number is too high.

As part of his budget proposal, Gov. Baldacci has included legislation that would allow the police to pull over and ticket anyone not wearing a seat belt. Currently, drivers can only be cited for not wearing a seat belt if they’re pulled over for another violation. In states where primary enforcement is already the law, seat belt usage averages 83 percent.

The costs of not wearing a seat belt are shared among all Maine residents. According to the governor’s office, the state spends about $32 million a year on hospital costs for people who chose not to wear a seat belt. That bill is spread out among workers, businesses, Medicare, Medicaid, individuals and hospitals.

The biggest complaint we’ve heard so far about the idea is that it’s included as part of the budget instead of being considered as stand-alone legislation. That shouldn’t be enough to keep it from passing.

The administration estimates that increased seat belt enforcement could raise $1.3 million in new fines. The real boost, however, comes from the lives saved and injuries avoided.