Death Is the Ultimate Inconvenience : Helmet safety bill in Sacramento needs to be passed and signed

Hard-core motorcyclists romanticize their opposition to wearing helmets by defiantly proclaiming that they would rather “ride free or die.”

Tragically, for the 1,973 riders who were killed in motorcycle accidents in the period from 1987 through 1989, that maxim illustrates the lethal reality of California’s open roads.

In an effort to stop the carnage, the California Assembly passed legislation last week requiring all motorcyclists and their passengers to wear safety crash helmets. If the Senate passes the bill, which it would be well-advised to, Gov. Pete Wilson is expected to sign it.

That would be a wise move, particularly when the state’s $12.6-billion budget deficit may force further cuts in funding for overburdened emergency rooms and trauma centers. The professionals who work there can offer eloquent testimony to the need for this legislation. It can save lives--and reduce the burden on emergency rooms.

If the bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Richard E. Floyd (D-Carson), passes, California would become the 24th state requiring helmets for all riders. Oregon and Nebraska recently enacted similar helmet requirements and motorcycle accident fatalities dropped nearly 35% in the first year they were in effect.

No less surprising were the results of a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that found the rate of motorcycle-related deaths nationwide to be almost twice that in states with partial or no motorcycle helmet-use laws.

Opponents of Floyd’s bill argue that bikers have the right to choose for themselves whether to wear a helmet. Unfortunately, California taxpayers don’t have a choice when it comes to paying the medical bills of the 82% of motorcycle accident victims who depend on state emergency services. Estimates of those costs are as high as $100 million a year.

Legislative supporters have fought for decades to get this measure signed into law. Although the Legislature has passed two other helmet-use laws, both were vetoed by former Gov. George Deukmejian. If passed this session, Floyd’s bill would take effect Jan. 1, 1992.

California law safeguards people traveling in automobiles by mandating the use of seat belts. Arguably, using a seat belt or a helmet may be inconvenient. But this simple precaution could be the difference between life and death.