Classic Wings

Over on another board that many here are familiar with, there is a discussion from August about helmet laws. I thought I'd bring the subject up here, to burn a few electrons. My thoughts are as follows.

I disapprove of both helmet and seatbelt laws as they are commonly written. It should be your choice to wear a helmet, or use a seat belt. However, that feeling comes from the assumption that you are responsible for the consequences of your actions... and that is the rub!

In today's society, there is no such thing as personal responsibility when it comes to your actions. If you ride without a helmet or drive unbelted, and you get into an accident that injures you, you or your next of kin will be suing someone to compensate for your injuries. It doesn't matter that your personal choice may have caused, or contributed to the severity of, your injuries. And, if you're left in a coma without insurance, tax money might be involved in keeping your life support running.

The best compromise I've come up with is a law that reduces or absolves the other party of financial responsibility for how dumb you want to be. If you elect to leave the helmet behind, or the seat belt docked in its retractor, your ability to recover damages would be limited to no more than your actual medical expenses, with the idea of "pain and suffering" being wiped from the legal table.

The only exception would be if you could prove that the helmet/belt would not have reduced or prevented your injuries. Hey, there are times when a truck could hit you so hard that no amount of protection would save your life...

Myself, I don't feel comfortable moving a car in the parking lot without a belt on, and have been that way ever since I learned to drive fast. Sliding out of the driver's seat of a Ford Fairlane while cornering can make you a believer, let me tell you! Since I learned to ride in late 2004, the only time I've been on a bike without some sort of armour is on the driving range (low speed), and the helmet is required for the bike to move under its own power.

We have a name for people who elect to not wear helmets 'round here. It's "organ donor".