Kenneth Salzberg wrote:

On Tue, 24 Aug 2004, John Roden wrote:



I feel like it is the best thing for the long term health of my brain.
Many people I ride with do not wear helmets on the bike, that's their
own business too.



I thought I'd weigh in (if Tegeder is going to). The data dealing with
helmet wearing while bicycling are ambiguous and complicated - many
different factors probably go into the fact that countries with high
helmet wearing have high bike injury rates (including the fact that some
of the low wearing rate/low accident countries are those with very many
bikers, much infrastructure supporting safe biking, and drivers, etc., who
are well aware of bikes and not hostile).
There are, of course, no data about helmets and roller skiing.
However, the notion that whatever I decided to do is my own issue, and
my own problem (and, as a result, something that there should be no
regulations or rules about) is wrong. If one can show that a particular
activity is (more or less) dangerous, and the resulting injuries put a
burden on society (as they usually do: higher medical costs, less
productivity from losing competent workers, burdens on family services,
mental health facilities, etc. etc. etc.), and if one could further show
that some prophylatic behavior could lessen the risk, then it seems to me
that society should regulate the activity.
The only time your actions have no effect on others is if you live apart
from all others. The major problem here is that we don't know the facts -
we don't really know if wearing a helmet will significantly lessen the
sorts of injuries that do more than cause a few day's soreness. It will
lessen those injuries to be sure, but by how much? Enough to justify the
regulation (and its costs)? I have no idea.

I wear a helmet almost every time I go roller skiing.

-Ken

************************************************* **********
Kenneth Salzberg
Hamline University
School of Law (651) 523-2354
1536 Hewitt Ave.
Sisu Skier - 50K Club St. Paul, MN 55104
************************************************* *****************








I'm glad that someone has finally mentioned that almost never does
something you do not affect others, even if indirectly.

Leland Yee