Virginia Freedom Riders :: Freedom Forums

GirlGeek · Rider Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Posts: 23 Location: Delaware

http://delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070514/NEWS/705140342

DOVER -- Motorcyclists such as Gary Hilderbrand say wearing a helmet should be a matter of choice, at least among adult riders.

Hilderbrand, the state legislative coordinator for ABATE Inc. of Delaware, says data on the effectiveness of helmets in saving lives and preventing serious injuries are inconclusive and that the state should focus more attention on teaching motorists how to better share the road than on mandating helmet use.

And wearing helmets, he says, poses its own risks.

"They restrict your peripheral vision and they're heavy," he said. "In some accidents, the six or seven pounds of weight they add to your head can lead to neck injuries."

That's not how state Sen. Gary Simpson, R-Milford, sees it.

Simpson is braving the wrath of motorcyclists from Delaware and around the country by sponsoring Senate Bill 46, which would reinstate the mandatory helmet law repealed in 1978. Simpson decided to sponsor the law after talking to emergency-room doctors who deal with the results of motorcycle crashes.

"They'll tell you that, if someone is brought in with a helmet, the helmet may be stripped down to the fiberglass, but the head is intact," Simpson said. "If someone comes in from an accident who's not wearing a helmet, their skull may be stripped down to the brain and by the time they get done picking out the dirt and asphalt, they'll probably lose them."

But Simpson knows he's got a fight ahead of him. Opposition from groups like ABATE has been rolling into Legislative Hall since the bill was introduced in March.

Melissa Savage, a transportation policy analyst for the National Conference of State Legislatures, said that's not un- usual. Delaware is among 18 states considering helmet laws, although none has passed.

"It's an issue that states are looking at in part because the number of riders is increasing and because injuries are increasing," she said, pointing to federal studies showing that motorcycle injuries and fatalities are rising at a rate higher than the increase in ridership. "But it's hard to get bills passed because the opposition is very well organized and effective."

State Sen. Margaret Rose Henry, D-Wilmington East, can attest to the fervor of anti-helmet law forces.

Since Simpson's proposal was assigned to her Senate Public Safety Committee, Henry said, she's been inundated with calls and e-mails from her district, the state and around the country arguing against the bill.

"These aren't just wild-eyed arguments. A lot of the letters and calls I've gotten are very well reasoned and thoughtful," Henry said. "I'm a big believer in individual freedom, which this issue is all about. ... I also believe in listening to the voice of the people, and the people are definitely speaking out on this."

More crashes

But the statistics point to a growing problem. In Delaware, the number of motorcycles registered and the number of crashes have been on the rise. In 1997, there were 9,370 motorcycles registered in the state and 198 crashes, eight of which were fatal, according to information from the state's Office of Highway Safety. Last year, there were 21,246 motorcycles registered in Delaware and 348 reported crashes, 14 of which were fatal.

That reflects national data. According to a 2006 report from the National Highway Transportation Safety Agency, motorcycle registrations and fatalities have been steadily on the rise since 1997. Motorcycle fatalities accounted for 5 percent of the nation's highway deaths in 1997, a number that rose to 10.5 percent in 2005.

Delaware is one of 26 states that has conditional helmet laws, which are aimed mainly at youthful or new riders. Some states have age restrictions on helmet-wearing; others require a certain level of experience. In Delaware, restrictions are related only to age: Motorcyclists age 18 and younger must wear a state-approved helmet. Older motorcyclists are not required to wear helmets, but they must possess a state-approved helmet while on bikes. Twenty states, including neighboring Maryland and New Jersey, mandate helmet usage. Four states have no helmet laws at all.

Because Delaware does not make helmets mandatory, the state is attractive to bikers from neighboring states.

"There are people who want a weekend at the beach and will come to Delaware from places like Jersey and Maryland because we don't have the law," Hilderbrand said. "They like to come to Delaware and ride with the wind in their hair. ... Those are people who would go somewhere else if we changed the law."

Hilderbrand said a better answer is an increased focus on teaching car and truck drivers to share the road with their two-wheeled friends.

The helmet question was in the national spotlight last year when Ben Roethlisberger, quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, was riding a motorcycle without a helmet when he was involved in a crash that resulted in serious injuries. Like Delaware, Pennsylvania had repealed its universal helmet law.

More than fatalities

It's a situation that Catherine L. Rossi, the public and government affairs manager for AAA Mid-Atlantic, says the auto club would like to see changed. AAA's legislative agenda includes putting a universal helmet law back on the books.

"If they won't let you play football without a helmet because of concerns about head injuries, does it really make sense to ride a motorcycle without a helmet?" she said. "It's a safety issue. The studies show that not only do fatalities increase when a rider doesn't wear a helmet, but so do serious injuries."

Jim Bob Golden of Middletown doesn't think the law should change. Golden has been riding for 43 years and is president of the Motorcycle Accident Victims Foundation, which provides short-term help to accident victims and their families. He said helmets that meet federal standards provide protection in crashes up to about 13 mph.

"If you're in a crash at 50 or 60 mph, it's not going to make much of a difference," he said. "If you want to wear a helmet, that's fine. But it should be a personal choice."
_________________
GirlGeek
Delaware Freedom Riders