Trauma surgeons have argued in vain to stop helmet laws from being repealed all over the country. We’ve argued that this is not a personal rights issue but instead a public safety issue. Just as people are required to wear seat belts in a car, motorcycle rider should be required to wear helmets (full face safety helmets) while riding bikes on public streets.
The following is a clip from this morning’s National Public Radio’s Morning Edition in which a Pennsylvania lawmaker argues against helmet laws.
I can see someone arguing that this is a public cost issue (unless one is a wealthy pro athlete) but a public safety issue? How is a driver more or less harmed if some helmeted or hemletless biker hits their windshield? Of course, the public in this case is merely an abstraction.
Public safety issue? Yes. the government asked us to wear a seatbelt in an attempt to try to make its citizens safer. Hundreds of thousands of Americans ride motorcycles. The government needs to find a way to make them safer.
In 2005, there were 177 motorcycle crashes admitted to Mission hospital. There were four deaths. The average length of stay was just over seven days. The average hospital charge was $86,000. One patients charge was $8.9 million.
More later. Thanks for your comment.