Vol 17 No 5: July 2008
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The recent death of cyclist David Minor in Eugene has deeply affected many Eugene-Springfield cycling activists, including one unlikely activist—the woman who struck him at the busy intersection of 13th and Willamette on the afternoon of June 2. According to the Eugene Register-Guard, the driver—who survived, obviously—has written letters to Governor Kulongoski, Senator Ron Wyden and Congressman Peter DeFazio asking them to support legislation to make helmets mandatory for cyclists of all ages. Minor was not wearing a helmet when he was struck, and eyewitness statements differ when the question of whether a helmet would have saved his life is brought up. Even the paramedics who treated him at the scene could not agree on this point. Evidently, the driver of the vehicle that hit Minor believes a helmet would have made a difference. I suspect this is wishful thinking.
I know that the dreaded “helmet war” is an argument for the ages. Many online forums go out of their way to curb discussion of the issue, or at least contain it in dedicated threads that are seemingly filled with people shouting past each other. I have no interest in adding to the noise with my own personal view of helmet use, but I do have a few thoughts on helmet legislation, and one of those thoughts involves nipping it in the bud.
Back in February, the Vancouver, WA City Council passed a mandatory helmet ordinance for all ages in the City of Vancouver. Like many helmet discussions, the proceedings of the Council relied mainly on emotion-charged anecdotes and conjecture. In an inspiring reaction to the Council’s decision, 12-year-old activist Dread Pirate Roberts (great pseudonymn by the way) organized a protest ride in downtown Vancouver.
I haven’t heard official rumblings about a similar law in Eugene or any response to the letters sent to our elected officials. but I believe that laws should go out of their way to encourage people to get out and cycle more. We should be removing barriers to cycling, not setting them up. Mandatory helmet laws supposedly protect cyclists, but in a way that I think is insulting to adults. Cycling remains one of the safest means of transportation around, and certainly one of the most efficient. Let individuals decide how they want to protect themselves, or if they even need protecting. I outgrew my nanny a long time ago, and I don’t need the State or the City to step in and fill the void.
Karl Benedek
Is there any decent bike insurance available? I have State Farm. Their homeowner’s insurance is no better than $500 deductable. Moreover, a claimant must “prove” to them what the bike is worth before they will honor one’s claim. What constitute’s “replacement value” is vague and up to them. In other words, it’s not so much insurance as an adversarial process in which they hold the cards.
Bicycle insurance would be nice to have for things like this, it should be the same as accident insurance or a combo life/bike insurance or a seperate policy itself.
I seriously do believe David Minor would’ve survived if he had a helmet on himself. He would’ve lived to tell the story of the accident, but it was his choice to make not to wear one on that fateful day. Its sad to see those without helmets, I always wear mind, but when someone doesn’t wear one on the road - it becomes a questionable decision, which reminds me of the insurance policy idea, a helmet is just that - Insurance.