Accident Statistics Add to Case for Motorcycle Helmets

Dear Street Smart:

Riding a motorcycle provides a feeling of freedom. The experience is one of really being there, more involved than driving a car. Being out on the open road, away from Orange County traffic, is a pure joy. With the smells, the temperature, I feel a part of the world rather than insulated from it.

I am not into speed or risk. Some riders are just foolish and I pray they survive until they outgrow it. The safety factors of a bike are in maneuverability, speed and control. I do split lanes, but only at slow speeds and when the traffic ahead does not have space to change lanes in front of me.

I do not wear a helmet because they are not safe, in my opinion. They restrict peripheral vision and hearing. I can often hear a person hit the lane dots on the freeway and move over accordingly to get out of their way. If I do go down, I may wish I had a helmet on, but I believe that the trade-off is better without one.

Tom Gregson

Costa Mesa

You certainly make some convincing arguments supporting the fun and thrill of motorcycle riding. But the statistics are against you when it comes to your choice of not wearing a helmet.

The superior acceleration and handling characteristics of motorcycles are nearly indisputable, but even the most skilled rider can be sent sliding across the asphalt by some motorist in a car. As you say, that’s when you may wish you had put on a helmet.

Over the first nine months of 1989, 243 motorcyclists were killed on the state’s freeways, and nearly 70% of them were not wearing helmets, according to Alice Huffaker, a California Highway Patrol spokeswoman. In all, motorcycles account for about 1% of the miles traveled on state roads and highways, but 18% of the traffic deaths, transportation experts say.

Arguments that helmets may actually contribute to some accidents by blocking peripheral vision have yet to be substantiated, experts say. The fact is, well-designed helmets restrict side vision about as much as a pair of glasses, Huffaker said.

The helmets do block sound, but no more than a contemporary car, she said. Besides, helmets can reduce the hurricane of wind noise roaring in your ears at high speeds, actually making it easier to hear car horns and sirens at 65 m.p.h., Huffaker said.

Even longtime foes of helmets, such as actor Gary Busey, seem to be singing a different tune these days. In 1989, Busey helped defeat a proposed state law mandating that motorcyclists wear helmets. He later suffered a severe head injury when his motorcycle struck a curb in Culver City, and he required intensive rehabilitation to recover.

In the months that followed the accident, Busey continued to insist on his right not to wear head protection while on his motorcycle. But the actor recently commented on a television talk show that he now feels motorcyclists should wear helmets: “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.”

Dear Street Smart:

The diamond lane needs to be updated to be effective. When I travel the freeways in Orange County and see the diamond lane deserted and the other lanes packed, I can’t help but wonder, ‘Why not issue stickers to people who have to travel to conduct business during certain hours?’ Salespeople, for instance.

You might want to make them meet certain criteria. Only certain delivery trucks should be allowed on the freeways during daylight hours--for example, produce, milk and other types of necessary vehicles.

Bruno Blava

Dana Point

State transportation officials have steered clear of that approach, fearing it might be deemed as favoritism toward certain types of businesses at the expense of Joe Commuter. They also suggest that it would defeat the purpose of the car-pool lanes.

The whole point of the lanes is to get several motorists to buddy up in one car, thereby reducing the number of vehicles on the road. Simply allowing a delivery truck or salesperson to skip into the lane doesn’t do much to relieve congestion, the experts at state Department of Transportation say.

“Once you allowed one type of business to use the lane, everyone else would apply for a sticker,” said Joe El-Harake, Caltrans coordinator for Orange County commuter lanes. “It becomes a class issue rather than one of how many people you have in your car.”

Caltrans officials are also quick to point out that their statistics indicate the car-pool lanes are better used than many motorists realize. During peak commuter hours on the Costa Mesa Freeway, the car-pool lane actually carries more vehicles than adjacent mixed-use lanes, they contend. The lanes only look like they’re handling fewer cars because the traffic is actually moving, compared to the congestion of the other lanes.