Simple Math

The Declaration of Independence states that we the people are entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Enforcing helmet laws may or not increase life, but it definitely takes away from liberty. Anyone over the age of 18 should have the legal right to foolishly put his or her own life in danger, as long as it does not endanger anybody else. Helmets are also uncomfortable, a hassle to remember, they look nerdy at times, and they cost approximately 18 dollars that could be spent on something else, like the pursuit of happiness.

Let’s be honest, the value of helmets can be confirmed with elementary math. You’re name is Joe, and you are peddling east at approximately 12 miles an hour, plus rush hour traffic on a small side road off Wrightsville Ave, plus you have to be at work in 3 minutes, squared. Drunken driver bob is traveling south, speeding in his car at approximately 45 miles an hour. He is changing the music on his shuffle Ipod, and cursing because it has no LCD screen, and he could swear he put Little Jon’s “Crunk Juice” on it; but alas, he cannot find it, hence the f bombs, times 6.

When you cross the road in a hurry, and he doesn’t realize he’s swerving into you, you collide and your helmet protects the top of your head when you fly off the bike and hit the ground with a shattered spine at approximately 28 miles an hour. So after carrying the one, the answer is x equals crap. That’s what helmet’s are worth. But that may be overstating the issue: helmets do make dangerous activities safer, just not safe.

If you want to prevent cyclist deaths, the answer is not in forcing people to protect themselves. It is in making sidwalks in residential neighborhoods, bike crosses, stop signs, bicycle signs, and increase awareness. However I can see a few ups to enforcing a seat belt law, but they are all in favor of the perpetrators. If driver Bob hits Joe, and he’s not wearing a seatbelt and he kills him, and it really was just an unfortunate coincidence that he could not have prevented, than that’s still manslaughter. If he survives the collision, he’ll do less in jail. Also if you happen to be driving around, intoxicated, the helmet laws will keep many cheapskate cyclists, paranoid of a fine, off the street thus reducing your chance of serving a few years in prison for reckless endangerment, manslaughter, etc.

Seatbelt laws are understandable, because by not wearing a seatbelt, you are not only endangering your own life. If you were to get in an accident you would become a human bullet with enough fatal momentum to fling about the car killing others, or propel through the window hitting pedestrians or fellow motorists. However by not wearing a helmet you are only endangering yourself, this is your business only, not your governor’s, not George Bush’s, not Big Brother, not the Illuminati’s, only yours. Who gives a flying cyclist anyways?