In their March 31 letter, ”Need helmet law,” Senators Brookins and Cullerton present a convincing statistical argument that motorcyclists without helmets have a great risk of serious head injury which ultimately costs taxpayers money-about $14 million in 1990. Okay. But obviously, the state paid because those motorcyclists did not have insurance! If their argument is that helmets save money, listen to mine.
Ninety percent of all auto accidents with serious injury or death are due to head injuries. The state could save hundreds of millions of dollars if drivers and passengers wore helmets. Therefore, all automobile drivers and passengers should wear helmets.
Of course, this will never happen because helmets are inconvenient, obstruct vision and hearing, cause neck fatigue and they really mess up expensive hair-dos. The public would never tolerate that, neither would the senators, and nor should motorcyclists.
