Bird
Rest in Peace
I don't see it as protecting them from themselves. I see it as protecting our tax dollars from them.
As I said, I understand the reasoning for the law, and yes, it protects our tax dollars, but just how far do we go? Personally, I don't know how far we should go. If we make all "recreational" driving illegal, that would further protect our taxes, by keeping people off the streets. How about we make it illegal to own, or maybe just to use, guns. That way no one could get accidentally shot or crippled by a gun. There's no end to it unless we tell you to sit at home and don't open the door.
There are risks to living; always have been and always will be. So we try to legislate ways to reduce those risks. And we'll never have a situation in which we all agree on which laws are right or wrong.