Saving Your Life Should not be an Option, Wear a Helmet
Saving Your Life Should not be an Option, Wear a Helmet
Latasha N. Crooks
Dr. Saraswathi Lakshmanan
Strayer University
ENG 215 – Research and Writing
August 12, 2015
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Saving Your Life Should not be an Option, Wear a Helmet
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Like most people in the United States and all around the world, you probably already
know helmets can save lives in many situations, but do you really comprehended just how
important wearing a helmet is? Saving your life should not be an option, wear a helmet at all
times. You require a helmet for activities such as riding a bicycle, roller skating, skateboarding,
and most importantly, when you operate a motorcycle. I have lost family members, friends, and
fellow service members to motorcycle fatalities because of inexperience and not wearing the
proper protective equipment, such as a helmet. Tragically, many people will die and become a
statistic because they never think this will happen to them. Wearing a helmet should be just as
ordinary as wearing a seatbelt each time a vehicle is in motion.
In 1967, states were mandated by the federal government to pass helmet laws in order to
be eligible for certain federal safety programs and highway construction funds (Governors
Highway Safety Association, 2015). This federal incentive program worked because almost all
the states mandated universal motorcycle helmet laws. However, in 1976, states lobbied
Congress to stop considering financial penalties and allow each state to pass their own laws in
regards to helmet safety (Governors Highway Safety Association, 2015). The states won this
fight against the Department of Transportation, but I do not feel this was morally or socially the
correct answer when factoring the number of deaths each year due to motorcycles. Apparently,
lawmakers care very much about people wearing seatbelts, but care little about citizens wearing
helmets on motorcycles. Currently, 28 out 50 states have laws in place which require
motorcyclists to wear helmets. This number is pitiful and extremely low, considering the
number of lives lost each year in motorcycle accidents.
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What are some problems that arise from a person not wearing a helmet while operating a
motorcycle? The obvious problems that stand out the most are deaths, head injuries, the
misunderstanding of skills over experience, medical expenses and lastly the ripple effect after the
accident. Death is tragic regardless of how you want to paint the picture and no one should be
the result of an accident because they did not wear a helmet. Motorcycle accidents cause
countless injuries such as broken bones, dislocated joints, and the most severe a head injury. The
mistaken belief of skills over experience can make someone believe they are invincible or an
accident will not happen to them because my skills are too good for that and if an accident does
happen I will get up and walk away. Lastly, the ripple effect is morally dealing with how the
accident affected the other people involved.
In 2013, there were a total of 4,381 motorcycle deaths (Insurance Institute for Highway
Safey, 2013). Out of these deaths, 37 percent of those motorcyclists were not wearing a helmet
(Insurance Institute for Highway Safey, 2013). More than 80 percent of all motorcycle crashes
result in injury or death. Congress or state lawmakers need to do something because this is an
extreme problem claiming the lives of so many each year. Motorcycle helmet laws need to be
reconsidered to ensure all levels of safety precautions are being taken to save a life. Motorcycles
are high performance vehicles that are unstable at a certain rate of speed and less visible on the
road than a compact car. Motorcycle crashes have two results that matter the most death or
survival. Death is the ultimate sacrifice, but 37 percent preventable with a helmet (Insurance
Institute for Highway Safey, 2013).
Another result of not wearing a helmet are injuries of all types and variation. The types
of injuries could be something as simple as a fractured forearm, dislocated hip or could be as
Saving Your Life Should not be an Option, Wear a Helmet
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severe as a head injury. Broken or dislocated body parts can take a matter of time to heal and
could possibly require some type of therapy. However, a head injury could leave a person in a
vegetative state and this could result in hospitalization, intensive therapy, or even death. Forty
percent of motorcycle riders who do not wear helmets will most likely sustain a fatal head injury.
Head injuries are a major cause of fatalities sustained in motorcycle crashes. Head injuries are
listed as the primary cause of death in 83 percent and as one of the top two causes of death in 95
percent (Houston, 2007). There is proof in the statistics, why become one?
The second problem that arises when someone chooses not to wear a helmet is the
misconception that nothing serious will ever happen to them. The delusion that someone’s age
and years of experience as a rider makes them invincible to accidents or injuries. In my
experience, this is far from the truth if I do say so myself. In 2014, I lost a fellow service
member who had just come home from his second tour in Afghanistan. He thought he was
untouchable driving without a helmet at high rates of speed and he paid for it. There were
multiply pictures of him riding around earlier in the day without his helmet, which he was fully
aware was part of proper protective gear required by the military. It is a sad situation when you
have to notify a family member of the loss of their loved one. What hurts even more about the
situation is to think that a helmet could have saved his life is the most devastating factor. It is
never easy to tell someone of death, but it hurts even more when you feel it could have been
prevented by wearing a helmet. Department of Transportation and lawmakers, let’s make this
easy and pass a law in all 50 states that mandate helmets as they already do seatbelts. These laws
should be one in the same.
Saving Your Life Should not be an Option, Wear a Helmet
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This misconception is a lie and the statistics are proof of this on a day to day basis. This
is the wrong mindset to have because one preventable death is too many when operating any type
of motorized vehicle. Loved ones of those who ride, or aspire to ride, should teach helmet safety
and encourage their family members to practice helmet usage, regardless of experience level.
When I was five months pregnant, my daughter’s father was in a motorcycle accident I
immediately thought the worst when I received the call. The most painful thought was that I
would be raising our daughter alone. From this experience, I can tell you that wearing a helmet
saved his life. The doctor provided a number of details and the most important one was his life
was saved because he decided to wear a helmet. Stop having the misconception you are above
death and put on a helmet to save your life.
The third problem would be the medical costs, loss of income, and the financial claims
that come with a motorcycle or automobile accident. The medical cost for someone that does not
wear a helmet over someone who does wear a helmet is on average $3,000 more at the time of
the accident. A person that survives a motorcycle accident and suffers severe injuries will miss
work without compensation. I can assure you money has not started to grow on trees and I far
from rich so take the necessary precautions and wear a helmet. The final financial obligation
could be paying for a motorcycle that was totaled as the result of your accident. This is a lesser
concern than your health and wellbeing but it is a costly financial responsibility to say the least.
If you do not remember any other reason for wearing a helmet other than money, think about all
you will save by just putting on a helmet before you ride a motorcycle.
The third problem would be the social issue of how your actions affected your loved ones
and those other lives involved in the accident. The social effect of your untimely death would be
Saving Your Life Should not be an Option, Wear a Helmet
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tragic and your loved ones will be left to pick up the pieces without you. What if your actions
took the life of someone else in the process? There would be an increase of pain for your family
and it would be a tragedy for their family to experience as well. There is no easy way to
approach death and trying to prevent it is should be an important factor each day. If you do not
want to think about your safety at least consider someone else’s.
Taking the time to put on a helmet is a safe way to enjoy riding a motorcycle and reduces
the consequences of what an accident could entail without one. The problems someone can
endure from not wearing a helmet are medical expenses, injury, or death. Helmets can help save
a life just by simply making it law and routine as wearing a seatbelt. Safety is not something we
should take lightly and helmets should be mandated for wear in all 50 states with no exceptions.
Saving your life should not be an option; wear a helmet.
Saving Your Life Should not be an Option, Wear a Helmet Continuation…
There is no easy way to break the ice when talking about death. When you understand
how a person died, I believe it helps with sorting out your emotions about their death. For
instance, when a person dies from natural causes or a prolonged illness there is pain and
questions of why, but because there was time to prepare it makes it is easier to comprehend. But
when tragedy strikes and someone is taken away far too soon it bottles up so many emotions of
pain and sometimes guilt. Emotions of pain are what I feel when I hear about a motorcycle
accident and the rider was not wearing a helmet and death was the result. Congress and
lawmakers need to step in and make the wear of helmets into law for everyday wear when
Saving Your Life Should not be an Option, Wear a Helmet
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anyone is operating a motorized vehicle. The wearing of a helmet can play a major factor in
medical expenses, the lives of others, injuries, or even death. Why take a gamble with your life
when it is so much easier to put on a helmet.
The first solution to assist Congress and lawmakers is to promote helmet safety. When
seatbelt safety was an issue, action was taken immediately. There were commercial
advertisements and the slogan “Click or Ticket” became very popular and till this day if you do
not wear a seatbelt you will receive a ticket. To some people wearing a seatbelt is second nature
because it is a way of life as helmets should be also. There should be a campaign started to
promote helmet safety in each region of the world. There should be a contest on who can make
the best slogan and how it can be endorsed throughout the world. The slogans should be aired in
each region of the United States so everyone feels apart of the movement to save a life.
The second solution to assist with decreasing the number of deaths is mandating helmet
laws in all 50 states. Helmet laws should be mandated for motorcycle riders and those operating
any type of motorized vehicle. These laws should include those individuals who operate the
motorcycle and those who ride as passengers as well. Helmet laws should be broken down into
two categories: primary and secondary. The primary helmet law would allow law enforcement
officers to give you and/or your passenger a ticket for not wearing a helmet without violating any
other traffic offense. The secondary helmet law would allow law enforcement officers to issue a
ticket in addition to your original traffic offense. The price of these tickets will be a set amount
in accordance with the highway safety association of that state.
The third solution I would recommend to Congress and lawmakers would be required
annual safety training. This training will be for all licensed motorcycle riders and it will enforce
Saving Your Life Should not be an Option, Wear a Helmet
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the traffic and helmet laws of their state. The training will be for all skill levels as the level of
experience does not make one invincible to the outcome if an accident were to happen. If you do
not attend the training and you did not follow up to attend a different training date within 30 days
of your missed training your motorcycle license will be suspended. In order to reinstatement
your license, you will have to first attend the training and then pay the fees to obtain a valid
motorcycle license. If a motorcycle rider is caught without a valid license than the same
punishment should apply for someone caught operating an automobile without a license, jail
time. This punishment may seem unfair, but I would rather bail someone out of jail than need to
start making their funeral arrangements.
One emotional advantage to having helmet laws is the number of lives that will be saved
because of them. The selfless act of putting on a helmet, as one does a seatbelt, will show how
much you care for your loved ones. One ethical advantage to having helmet laws will be the
decrease from 37 percent of deaths each year to a projected percentage of half this rate each year.
One logical advantage is you are much safer because of the helmet laws that are being enforced.
You will not have to worry if an unexpected accident were to happen your head is already safe
and secure with the prescribed protective equipment, a helmet.
There truly needs to be helmet laws in all 50 states and these laws need to be of equal
merit to seatbelt laws. The United States of America is the land of opportunities and the time has
come to use this occasion to enforce helmet laws that should already be in place. Promoting,
mandating, and providing reinforcement annual training are solutions to assist Congress and
lawmakers that it is time to take a stand for helmet safety. As law abiding citizens, let us hold
Saving Your Life Should not be an Option, Wear a Helmet
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those individuals accountable for their actions if they do not want to conform to the new helmet
laws. Remember, your life should not be an option, wear a helmet at all times.
Saving Your Life Should not be an Option, Wear a Helmet
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References
Insurance Institute for Highway Safey. (2013). Retrieved from Motorcycles: www.iihs.org
Governors Highway Safety Association. (2015, August 10). Retrieved from Helmet Laws:
www.ghsa.org
Houston, D. J. (2007). Motorcycle Safety and the Repeal of Universal Helmet Laws. American
Journal of Public Health, 2063-2069.
Iskander, J. (2013, August 14). Impany of Helmet Use in Traumatic Brain Injuries Associated
with Recreational Vehicles. Retrieved from Hindawi:
http://www.hindawl.com/journals/apm/2013/450195
MacLeod, J. B., DiGiacomo, C. J., & Tinkoff, G. M. (2010, November). Helmet Efficacy to
Reduce Head Injury and Mortality in Motorcycle Crashes. Retrieved from Eastern
Association for the Surgery of Trauma: https://www.east.org/eduation/practicemanagement-guidelines/helmet-efficacy-to-reduce-head-injury-and-mortality-inmotorcycle-crashes
Neiman, M. (2008). Motorcycle Helmet Laws: The Facts, What Can be Done to Jump Start
Helmet Use, and Ways to Cap Damages. Journal of Health Care Law & Policy, 35.
ENG 215 – Appendix A: Peer Review Feedback Form 2
Appendix A: Peer Review Feedback Form 2
Reviewer’s Name: _
Date: __
Writer’s Assigned #: _
Course:____
Section:__
Assignment 4: Persuasive Paper Part 2: Solution and Advantages
Peer reviews should provide feedback to a peer on the criteria expected in the paper. Follow
these instructions:
1) Receive a classmate’s paper from your professor (in class if on-ground; by e-mail if online).
2) Copy the Peer Review Feedback Form from the Appendix.
3) Comment on all criteria, noting strengths and / or areas for improvement on the feedback
form.
4) Provide completed Peer Review Feedback Form and classmate’s paper to your professor.
Note: On-ground students should submit the feedback form and paper to the professor during
the class meeting in which the paper is reviewed; online students should submit the feedback
form and paper to the professor via the Assignment Tab in the course shell.
Criteria
Part 1
1. Revise, using feedback from the
professor and classmates, your
Persuasive Paper Part I - A Problem
Exists.
Part 2
2. Included a defensible, relevant
thesis statement clearly in the first
paragraph.
3. Explain a detailed, viable solution
that supports your thesis. This
should be one or two (1-2)
paragraphs.
4. State, explain, and support the first
advantage (economic, social,
political, environmental, social,
equitable, ethical/moral, etc.) to your
solution. This should be one or two
(1-2) paragraphs.
5. State, explain, and support the
second advantage (economic, social,
political, environmental, social,
equitable, ethical/moral, etc.) to your
solution. This should be one or two
(1-2) paragraphs.
6. State, explain, and support the
third (and fourth if desired) advantage
(economic, social, political,
environment, social, equitable,
ethical/moral, etc.) to your solution.
This should be one or two (1-2)
paragraphs.
+ Strengths
Comments < Areas for
Improvement
ENG 215 – Appendix A: Peer Review Feedback Form 2
7. Use effective transitional words,
phrases, and sentences.
8. Provide a concluding paragraph
/transitional paragraph that
summarizes the proposed solution
and its advantages.
9. Develop a coherently structured
paper with an introduction, body, and
conclusion.
10. Use one or more rhetorical
strategies (ethos, logos, pathos) to
explain advantages.
11. Support advantage claims with at
least three (3) a d d i t i o n a l quality
relevant references. Use at least six
(6) total for Parts 1 & 2.
12. Other
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