The Battalion
CheB
OPINION
Page 2
The Battalion
Thursday, September7,Mun
Point / Counterpoint: motorcycle helmet lav
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NO
HELMETS
Helmet law ma
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accidentally savf
people’s lives
If Tht
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all the
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aid.
The motorcycle helmet law has been
attacked as a useless law that creates
more problems than it solves. Yet I
think it is a good law, one that this state
and many others need.
Some of those protesters make a strongcase for not needing'helmets !
Occasionally our government feels
the need to save society from itself.
That’s why we have the seat belt laws,
drug laws and prostitution laws. None
of the vices these laws are designed to
prevent directly hurt anybody except
ourselves, but the government decides
that we should be saved from ourselves,
and so encodes those feelings into law.
Helmet law may cause accidents
I’m not saying this class of laws is
right or proper, just that it exists.
a helmet, simply because they do:
have complete control of the rat
when they ride, and unexpected a: |
dents do occur no matter how cart |
the driver. All motorcycles are veryi
gerous, even the small ones, foritli
only one second to lose balance and|)|
sibly lose your life.
Last Friday was September 1, the day
all motorcycle and scooter owners have
been dreading for months. As of last
Friday, if you want to ride a motorcycle
or scooter in Texas, you must wear a
helmet. And don’t think you are ex
cused because your Spree only has a
50cc engine, or because you only drive
on campus or even because the helmet
won’t fit over the bow in your perfectly
teased hair. The Texas Legislature is se
rious about this one. And there are NO
Damon
Arhos
Columnist
it is before I can take it off than on the
road. These factors could cause a se
rious accident! But lucky for me that if
they do, my helmet will protect me.
exceptions.
Both legislators and law enforcement
officials have said the new helmet law
will start saving lives immediately. I am
sure many of our legislators voted for
the helmet bill envisioning cyclists
zooming across the highways of Texas
on powerful Ninjas and revved-up Har-
ley-Davidsons. And surely a helmet
could be viable protection against head
injuries for these riders, especially con
sidering the incredible rates of speed at
which these monsters travel. Surely,
right?
sumption of alcoholic beverages. But, as
of last Friday, there is no age at which
we can make our own decision about
whether or not to wear a helmet.
What is important is the ability of the
people of Texas to make their own deci
sions about wearing a helmet. The citi
zens of Texas have a right to make this
decision for themselves. And the legis
lature needs to drop the “mom and
dad” approach to lawmaking.
To make matters worse, the Bryan
and College Station police departments
have thrown the 90 day grace period
out the window, leaving the decision of
whether or not to give helmet violators
tickets up to each individual officer.
Even the Texas Department of Public
Safety is going to give 90 days worth of
warnings to those speed demons on
Ninjas going 115 down Texas’ high
ways. But our friendly neighborhood
policemen are out in force, tracking
down every person who is DARING
enough to ride a 50cc scooter without a
helmet. So if anyone tells you there is a
grace period in greater Bryan-College
Station, tell them they’re wrong.
The seat belt law and the new motor
cycle helmet law are very similar in na
ture. Yet the seat belt laws in this coun
try serve an additional malevolent
purpose: they help continue to prevent
the mandatory installation of airbags in
cars. The automobile industry lobby has
succesfully challenge i initiatives to have
mandatory airbags installed in all new
cars, because the auto industry would
have to pay a little extra for the thou
sands of lives saved per year. Airbags in
cars would save many more lives than
any law about seatbelts could.
Although many people realize!
should wear a helmet, many don’tv
it all the time (including me), becaJ
“it’s only a short trip,” or “I woni|
going very fast” or “I’ll be extracai
HO
Pock
Africa
because I don’t have a helmet.” Yetej*! e '
the most cautious drivers never
an accident to happen, it just does.
I
Unfortunately, airbags would do no
good for motorcycle riders, so the riders
must protect themselves. And the hel
met law does not serve an auxiliary pur
pose as does seatbelt law.
Well this MAY be all fine and dandy
for those riders who travel over 35 miles
per hour, but the legislature neglected
to consider two important issues related
to mandatory helmet wearing.
Secondly, I doubt many of our legis
lators thought about how many people
(ESPECIALLY college students) ride
low-powered scooters that don’t go any
faster than a bicycle. I know you have
seen all of the scooter riders all over
campus wearing helmets and looking
like total GEEKS doing so. (And I know
they look like geeks because I am one of
them.)
The Texas Legislature needs ta re
think its position on the helmet law. If
you are old enough to make a decision
about whether or not to ride a motorcy
cle, you are old enough to decide about
whether or not to wear a helmet. And
having to wear a helmet while riding a
scooter that does not go any faster than
a bicycle is unreasonable and could even
prove to be dangerous on a heavily pop
ulated campus such as ours.
The helmet law is designed to protect
riders from the most dangerous part of
the motorcycle riding experience — the
unexpected.
•omm
Hig
hope the law makes those
sometimes wear helmets wear theni(busin(
the time and those who should wear Woust
mets and don’t, wear them more
j| But
But honestly, I hope Texas policeij
ficers are not too strict with enfot
ment of the law, because I know I h? !
great disdain when police try to enfot
the seat belt law. After all, it’s a law)
signed to protect me, why should II
to pay for it? I just hope that the:
causes someone to think twice abouii
helmet when they get on a motorcydtl
First of all, if our elected representa
tives are REQUIRING us to wear hel
mets, they are essentially telling us we
are not responsible enough to make a
decision for or against wearing a helmet
for ourselves. As adults, we are sup
posed to be able to make rational deci
sions about our lives. At 18, we can
make decisions about who will run our
government. At 21, we can decide
whether or not to partake in the con
How effective can a helmet be when
you travel on campus at a maximum of
20 miles per hour? Can’t a ten-speed bi
cycle go 20 miles per hour? Why don’t
bicyclists have to look like geeks too?
Actually, I have found that my hel
met prevents me from seeing much of
what is around me, lowers audibility and
heats up to around 900 degrees inside
so that I concentrate more on how long
But until the legislature is inclined to
change the law, helmets are here to stay.
So if you want fresh air whizzing by
your sunlit face as you enjoy riding your
motorcycle down a rustic highway —
walk your motorcycle to the state line
and have at it. Otherwise, it’s helmet
time.
I have personally had two motorcycle
accidents in the past seven years. The
first time a helmet probably saved my
life. Six years later, the lack of a helmet
could have cost me my life, had circum
stances been different.
Yes, the helmet is unattractive,
messes up your hair, it’s hot and'
makes it harder to hear. These areal!
gitimate concerns. And I can see tt I
students who ride 50cc scooters are 5
convenienced, knowing they willprcU
baly never have a wreck.
Every time I get on a motorcycle,
whether as a passenger or driver, I feel
insecure and scared without a helmet.
When I do have a helmet, I feel safe and
very secure, no matter how bad the
driver.
Looking like a geek and gett*
mussed up hair is an inconvenienceitf
torcycle and scooter owners she
learn to live with. After all, it mayaff
dentally save their lives.
Damon Arhos is a senior journalism
major and a columnist for The Battal
ion.
I’m sure almost all experienced mo
torcycle drivers know they should wear
Timm Doolen is a junior comp 1
science major and assistant opm
page editor for The Battalion.
STAY TOONED
Thanks for the overwhelming resjxmse to our
request for cartoon suggestions. The cartoon
hotline is now officially closed. The results will
be published in Friday’s Battalion.
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Dean Sueltenfuss, Lifestyles Editor
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Mail Call
Silver Taps means ShhhhH
EDITOR:
Last night at Silver Taps, I was very disgusted with the
behavior of many people going to, attending and leaving the
ceremony. I saw people laughing and talking as if they were
headed to some place like the Chicken.
Silver taps is not a social gathering!
The sole purpose of the ceremony is to bring fellow
Aggies together to pay final respects and say prayers for the
departed and their families.
Just do me one favor Ags. When you leave the dorm,
apartment, etc., remember why you’re going to Silver Taps.
It’s not to go and catch a glimpse of the Ross Volunteers or to
meet new friends. The ceremony is a final tribute paid to a
fellow Aggie who has passed away!
Tom Wilson ’91
More parking needed!
EDITOR:
I wish to call to your attention the parking situation in the
parking lot that serves the Horticulture/Forest Science
building, the Rosenthal Meat Science Lab, Kleberg, the Heep
Center and the new Biochemistry Building. Due to the recent
completion of the Biochemistry Building, there is a sudden
shortage of parking spaces.
I realize parking problems are nothing new on this
campus, however I feel this problem merits special attention.
First, the lot is already full. The problem is that students
ire able to use the first half of the lot that is reserved for staff
because the sign at the entrance to the lot still has the
words, “any valid permit except park and ride” writteno : |
it.
Once this sign has been changed to read staff only, I
there will be less than half of the lot left for the same
number of students to park in.
I do not see where we are expected to park. The fish
lots are near capacity, as are the blue lots at the Medical I
Sciences Library and the Vet School.
I feel whoever plans the parking has been terribly
remiss in their duties. This new building has been under I
construction for quite some time.
I here should have been some new parking being
constructed concurrently with the building. At least the : :
existing lots could have been expanded on to some of the |
grassy areas surrounding the lots.
Expansion would not have solved the problem, but |
anything would have helped.
Who is responsible for this poor planning? I wish Thej;
Battalion would do a story on this problem, including the!)
individual responsible for the planning.
I don’t expect to have a place available every time I
arrive on campus, but I don’t expect not to be able to fin^B
one at 8 a.m.
Neal Maranto ’88
accompanied by 10 signatures
Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial stof m
serves the right to edit letters for style and length, but will make every effort to*m
tain the author’s intent. Each letter must be signed and must include the ciafci'w
tion, address and telephone number of the writer.