Obviously if you don't need anything done that is subject to those laws, then you do not suffer.
But, for example, if I didn't have access to the electrical code, I would have been unable to definitively follow the law when running some new power circuits. I would have had to rely on folk guidelines and general engineering knowledge, and could have possibly done something that would cause legal problems down the line.
Furthermore, I may have decided that such a thing wasn't worth getting into, and been pushed into hiring an expensive contractor instead.
But, for example, if I didn't have access to the electrical code, I would have been unable to definitively follow the law when running some new power circuits. I would have had to rely on folk guidelines and general engineering knowledge, and could have possibly done something that would cause legal problems down the line.
Furthermore, I may have decided that such a thing wasn't worth getting into, and been pushed into hiring an expensive contractor instead.
(Also, this excellent comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12480626)