NAMES IN THE NEWS : Busey Pleases Helmet Group

Actor Gary Busey’s apparent turnaround on the use of motorcycle helmets--he now advocates wearing them--has delighted the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.

Busey, who suffered a severe head injury a year ago when his motorcycle struck a curb in Culver City, had in the months following the accident insisted on his right not to wear head protection while biking.

Last year, before the accident, Busey and others helped defeat a proposed state law forcing motorcycle riders to wear helmets.

But during a Nov. 28 appearance on television’s syndicated “Arsenio Hall Show,” Busey told his host he had a change of heart.

“I have a whole new attitude about helmeting . . . my attitude now is becoming helmet-conscious, to wear one,” Busey said. The actor, who needed rehabilitation to recover from his injury, said he had reflected on the accident and on the safety of young riders.

“Next time you’re doing 45 m.p.h., look at the curb and think about slam-dancing with it once, and you’ll start thinking about helmets,” Busey said on the show.

“Busey’s comments on the ‘Arsenio Hall Show’ put to rest any doubts about his position on helmet use,” said Irvine-based Motorcycle Safety Foundation President Alan Isley.

Busey didn’t say if he would go as far as recommending a helmet law.