Motorcycle accidents a danger

Five motorcycle accidents in Monroe County ended in fatalities in the last four months with four of the riders (one unconfirmed) not wearing helmets. Jason Estep, Bill Colson, Kenneth Long, Joshua Duke and IU sophomore Chad Culver comprise the list of fatalities.\nThe lack of consistent helmet usage has led to fiery debate among those who say helmets should not be mandatory and those who say motorcycle riders should not be given the choice.\nThe Indiana division of American Bikers Aimed Toward Education, a non-profit organization dedicated to the education and promotion of safety while protecting the rights of riders, was responsible for the 1976 repeal of the state law that once required all Hoosier motorcyclists to wear helmets. Indiana is now one of 26 states that only require individuals younger than 18 to wear head protection.\nJay Jackson, Director for the ABATE motorcycle safety division, said while he is not against helmets, he is against legislation requiring mandatory usage.\n"Our organization provides riders with the information they need to make informed decisions on their own benefits of proper gear," Jackson said. "It's a freedom of choice issue."\nJackson, a motorcyclist, said he wears a helmet full-time. \n"I drive a pick-up truck and when I'm driving, I buckle up," he said. "I choose to for safety reasons, not because it's the law."\nRunning on the Democratic ticket for State Representative District 60, Peggy Welch, who also works as a nurse at Bloomington Hospital, said she can see the obvious benefits to helmet safety awareness.\n"We all know helmets help save lives and preserve the quality of life," Welch said. "As a nurse, I do believe helmets can in fact save lives.\n"When people are given the choice and then choose not to, it's usually the state that takes care of those families," Welsch added. "It's the state that picks up the tab with limited resources. It's a question of how you balance personal liberties with limited resources."\nWelsch couldn't comment on whether she was in favor of a mandatory helmet law but said she introduced similar legislation requiring children to wear bicycle helmets.\nShe has not received feedback on the bill, however, saying she's heard people are afraid the issue will turn into a motorcycle matter.\nOn the opposite end of the spectrum, David DeGroote, director of Bloomington Hospital Ambulance Service, said he sees first hand why obligatory helmet usage is necessary.\n"I'm a past motorcycle owner, so I understand both sides," DeGroote said. "It's just like seatbelt laws. They protect people from serious injury. I personally feel helmets can and would reduce the loss of life, and I'm sure if you could go back and talk to those who died, they'd tell you they'd wear helmets if they could do it all over again.\n"If they're not wearing helmets, they're exposed," DeGoote continued. "A motorcycle operator can be doing exactly what he's supposed to and can be struck. Head on concrete, head on windshield -- they're not a good mix."\nJackson said the passing of such a law would "do more harm than good" since most people would purchase helmets that wouldn't protect sufficiently.\n"If they were to impose a helmet law tomorrow, everyone would go out tonight and buy a $15 helmet just to be legal and that wouldn't do much good," Jackson said. "Wearing a helmet gives people a sense of immortality so they're more likely to take risks and feel removed from that responsibility to pay attention. A lot of helmets don't even meet standards and wouldn't help in a crash. So many people say motorcycle fatalities occur because the rider wasn't wearing a helmet. The lack of helmet didn't cause the crash."\nDeGroote disagreed with Jackson's reasoning.\n"I've seen too many horrible, tragic accidents," DeGroote said. "A lot of people say they don't like riding with a seat belt, but they don't have a choice." \nHe said similar helmet laws should be put in tact.\n"It's a no-brainer that wearing a helmet can save lives," he said.\nUpon hearing the news of the lives lost in Monroe County in the last four months, Jackson said his organization's hearts go out to them. \n"That's tragic," he said. "Anything that occurs that winds up in fatality is tragic"