What would you do?

[rotor]

Automobile occupants should wear helmets.

Two primary arguments for helmet laws: 1) save lives, and 2) to keep health care costs down for all of us due to those who survive motorcycle crashes and who need medical rehabilitation.

However, what is never reported is the number of persons in automobile accidents who die due to head injuries (even though they were wearing seat belts), and those who survive car crashes and require lengthy medical rehabilitation due to closed head injuries.

When a motorcyclist is involved in a fatal accident, it is immediately reported whether or not a helmet was being worn. When a car crash occurs, it is reported whether or not a seat belt was being worn, but no details as to the cause of death or injury.

Since there are far more deaths and head injuries caused by car crashes (even though seats belts were used) than motorcycle crashes, would it not be more effective, and hence more humanitarian, to require automobile occupants to wear helmets?

This illustrates that the motivation for motorcycle helmet laws is primarily political, not practical.

My position is based on discussions with physical therapists and nurses that I have known.

BTW, I always wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle.

Any trauma doctor will agree.

It took a long time to convince Detroit to put belts in automobiles. The industry moguls knew seat-belts would save lives, but resisted them because they simply hated anything that would remind people that driving a car can result in serous injury.

It was reasonable to legislate the seat-belt being part of the new vehicle, it was wrong to make their use mandatory. Wearing a helmet in an automobile does not require any action on the part of car makers or legislators, it requires only a modicum of common sense on the part of vehicle occupants. That day will come...