Florida Has No Helmet Law
Every time I see a motorcycle weaving in and out of traffic on a busy, fast-moving roads, I stop my to think about how I still feel Florida should have their helmet law in place. If I were to be pulled over for not wearing a seatbelt in my van, I could be ticketed.
Motorcyclists often remind me that I should look out for them, since they are small enough to get lost in my blind spot. I agree. I should indeed be a diligent driver. But, so should those on motorcycles. What made me think of this again is the news that a female passenger on a motorcycle was critically injured on yesterday when the motorcycle crashed into a car up in Tarpon Springs.
She was not wearing a helmet.
And, it was the motorcycle that struck a turning car.
Despite a lack of a helmet law, people on bikes can choose to put on a helmet for their own safety. While the driver of a motorcycle might argue that visibility is impaired, why was the passenger not wearing a helmet? Motorcycle safety is the responsibility of the riders. While the rest of us on the roads should be aware of riders, we cannot make up for the shortcomings of helmetless riders weaving thought traffic at high speeds. I saw a lot of comments from bikers and the only one that even made sense was a comment that said people on motorcycles have one way to survive. They need to pretend they are invisible and never assume people see them on the road. Drive defensively to compensate.
I hate the no helmet law. It’s always the biker who dies. We ALWAYS wear our helmets. Always.
I think the helmet laws were revoked because it was proven that helmets don’t really enhance your chance of survival. There was a big debate in PA when they revoked that same law. They determined that the weight and bulk of the helmet actually made it more likely that you will break your neck and be seriously injured in an accident. That the only thing the helmet did protect was a direct from the top impact and nothing from the sides.
I have always been against seatbelt laws too though. That is a personal safety decision and when did it become government business to protect my personal safety?? My not wearing a seat belt doesn’t affect the safety of the public as a whole, so government should keep it’s nose out. (Yes, I am a seat belt wearer, just don’t agree is should be a law.)