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The Florida bikers’ freedom to suffer brain damage

In a recent report, CNBC.com mentions a Gainesville Sun editorial that offers compelling arguments in favor of reinstating the mandatory motorcycle helmet law in Florida.

Just before the mandatory helmet law was repealed, 164 people died in motorcycle accidents in Florida (1999). Last year the number of fatalities reached 402. In Florida and across the country, motorcycle deaths are rising even as other traffic-related fatalities are constantly decreasing.

Nationwide, most states had mandatory helmet laws in 1998, when 2,294 people died in bike crashes. In 2009, the number of victims had increased to 4,400.

The National Safety Transportation Board keeps on hammering the fact that head injuries are a leading cause of motorcycle deaths, and that bikers who crash without the protection of a helmet are three times more likely to sustain brain injuries than those who wear a helmet.

The Gainesville Sun further argues that wearing a protective helmet should not be considered an assault on an individual’s personal freedom. It is the community who bears the brunt of the heavily subsidized health care required by traumatic brain injuries (estimated to be a staggering $310,000 per motorcyclist involved in a crash), and the welfare of their surviving family members.

The Ormond Beach motorcycle accident attorneys of Johnson & Gilbert are passionate bikers and want bikers to be able to enjoy their rides safely. For motorcyclists, this requires driving safely, abiding by traffic regulations and wearing protective gear. But even so, many bikers are hurt by the reckless or careless behavior of other drivers, ensuing in terrible injuries or even death.

If you or a loved one has been involved and hurt in a car, motorcycle or truck crash caused by reckless, negligent, distracted or drunken drivers, call immediately the Ormond Beach motorcycle accident attorneys of Johnson & Gilbert for a FREE discussion of your case.

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