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From: mwicks@sun.uucp (Michael Wicks)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.cycle,net.auto
Subject: Seat belts, Helmets and Freedom of Choice
Message-ID: <5348@sun.uucp>
Date: Tue, 22-Jul-86 16:51:27 EDT
Article-I.D.: sun.5348
Posted: Tue Jul 22 16:51:27 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 24-Jul-86 04:14:00 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
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Xref: watmath net.politics:17599 net.cycle:1846 net.auto:11753


       I realize that this subject may have been beaten to death long
  before now but I wanted to add 2 cents from my end. Here in California
  we of course do not have any helmet laws and motorcylists can do just
  about anything they like, and they usually do. Some are safe and
  courteous riders and others are reckless. I don't have any numbers or
  percentages on that or for the number of safe or reckless drivers
  either. I find it interesting that Californians have a MANDATORY
  seat belt law in effect that no one in particular seems to object to,
  and, I would gather, that most people adhere to. It appears to me that
  sane motorists have accepted the fact that seat belts save lives and
  it isn't that big of a deal and their choice is to comply with the law.
  Motorcyclists have no such restrictions placed upon them, even though
  their vehicles are far more dangerous to them than if they were in an
  enclosed 4 wheel vehicle. Why is this? Is there a lobby that bikers
  have that speaks up whenever a helmet law is mentioned? Why would the
  persons who wrote and voted for the seat belt law NOT consider a
  helmet law? I don't have the answers but I do say that if you are on
  a motorcycle on the freeway WITHOUT a helmet and decide to travel 
  between cars, you deserve to get you head mashed if that's all the 
  sense you have. I've always wanted to get a bike myself but after
  seeing what the cyclists do here, and how drivers react both on and
  off the road I say "No thanks, I don't need any more enemies!".


            MICHAEL L. WICKS
             Sun Microsystems
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