RADIO AND MEDIA ATTACK
09 July 2006 - Abate

Motorcycle riders in Florida and across the country have been attacked on the radio and in the news media in recent programs and articles.

These attacks are in direct response to a motorcycle crash involving Steelers Quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger.

Roethlisberger was injured when a car turned left, in front of him. The 62 year-old car driver was clearly at fault in the collision and issued a citation for violation of right-of-way. However, since Roethlisberger was not wearing a helmet, he was issued citations for failure to be endorsed and riding without a helmet illegally. The broadcasts have directed their attention toward the helmet, versus non-helmet use by motorcyclists. These reports have been negatively inflammatory, at best. ABATE of Florida, Inc. (American Bikers Aimed Toward Education) has fought this type of misinformation for many years in the courts and in the legislature.

In 2000, after careful review of the facts, Governor Jeb Bush signed legislation, which allowed motorcycle riders in Florida, over the age of 21, to choose whether or not to wear a helmet when riding. The helmet law was not repealed. In fact, restrictions were attached requiring the adult, non-helmeted, endorsed rider and their passenger to have medical insurance in order to ride without a helmet.

In several news reports, 1999 Florida crash statistics have been used as a comparison to the most recent crash data available. The helmet laws were still in FULL affect for ALL riders in 1999. Twenty-two deaths of non-helmeted motorcycle riders are being reported, at a time when helmets were still required, by law. During that same year, 143 helmeted riders were killed on Florida roadways.

The most recent figures available from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, report 200 motorcycle riders, wearing helmets, died in motorcycle related crashes during 2004. During that same time period, 188 riders who were not wearing helmets were killed. In fact, 60.1% of the time, riders and their passengers who were not wearing helmets reported no injury in a motorcycle crash.

The facts are; helmeted riders are more likely to die or sustain serious injury in a motorcycle crash. Those are the facts, nothing more, nothing less. Statistics clearly prove helmets are not the issue. Driver awareness and public education is. The number of motorcycle riders in the state of Florida has nearly tripled since 1999. Still, in the majority of crashes, involving motor vehicles and motorcycles, the driver of the car was responsible for the crash. With three times the number of motorcycles on the highways, driver awareness is an ever-increasing issue. Public education and motorcycle crash prevention would be far more productive than debating helmet use.

Regardless of your point of view on helmet use, helmets cannot prevent crashes from occurring. 388 deaths are 388 too many. For additional information on Motorcycle Safety Awareness Programs and the legislative activity of ABATE of Florida, Inc. you can write to PO Box 2720, DeLand, Florida 32721 or visit www.abateflorida.com.

www.abateflorida.com

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