{"id":28940,"date":"2018-03-30T00:13:43","date_gmt":"2018-03-30T00:13:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/highplainsblogger.com\/?p=28940"},"modified":"2018-03-30T00:18:14","modified_gmt":"2018-03-30T00:18:14","slug":"are-helmet-laws-a-nanny-state-rule-no","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/highplainsblogger.com\/?p=28940","title":{"rendered":"Are helmet laws a ‘nanny state’ rule? No!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Whenever I mention the subject of requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets, I often get a response that refers to the “nanny state.”<\/p>\n

I brought the subject up a message the other day in which I wondered whether the Texas Legislature could reconsider its decision to rescind the requirement back in 1995.<\/p>\n

I’m going to stand by my view that the Legislature ought to rethink that decision, which I said at the time was ill-considered — and which I still believe it to be today.<\/p>\n

Let’s explore the “nanny state” canard.<\/p>\n

If the state is seeking to impose intrusive rules on motorists, rules that violate a certain “choice” factor, then why does government impose speed limits? Why does the state make it illegal to drive with an open container of alcohol? And here’s my favorite: Why does the state require drivers — and passengers — to wear safety restraints in a moving vehicle?<\/p>\n

You see, requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets is no more intrusive and invasive than any of those other rules.<\/p>\n

Let’s understand that the state already mandates headgear for minors riding on motorcycles. Indeed, any parent who would operate a “crotch rocket” with one of his or her helmetless<\/em> children on board should be arrested and thrown in the slammer … for a long time!<\/p>\n

I once got into an argument with someone in the Golden Triangle who tried to talk me out of a column I wrote about helmet laws; and this was before<\/em> the Legislature decided to rescind the statewide requirement.<\/p>\n

This clown, whose name escapes me at the moment, actually argued that he shouldn’t have to wear a helmet because he wanted “to feel the wind blow through my hair.” I damn near flipped!<\/p>\n

I have argued that motorcyclists who refuse to wear head protection cost us all a lot of money when they are debilitated by the injuries they suffer. Helmets can prevent such grievous injury.<\/p>\n

And you may spare me the notion that the $10,000 insurance policy suffices as protection. Why? Because a patient can eat up that 10 grand policy the moment he or she checks into an acute-care hospital.<\/p>\n

Am I pushing a “nanny state” agenda? Not in the least.<\/p>\n

I merely am wishing for sanity to return to our Legislature. I’m realistic enough to understand that it likely won’t happen.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Here is an item I posted eight years ago, just to remind you that I am steadfast in my opposition to this notion of “individual liberty.”<\/p>\n

https:\/\/highplainsblogger.com\/2010\/03\/we-all-pay-for-helmet-less-riders\/<\/p>\n\n

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Whenever I mention the subject of requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets, I often get a response that refers to the “nanny state.” I brought the subject up a message the other day in which I wondered whether the Texas Legislature could reconsider its decision to rescind the requirement back in 1995. I’m going to stand … Continue reading Are helmet laws a ‘nanny state’ rule? No!<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[1936,7676,4653],"class_list":["post-28940","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-state-news","tag-golden-triangle","tag-helmet-law","tag-texas-legislature"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/highplainsblogger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28940","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/highplainsblogger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/highplainsblogger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/highplainsblogger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/highplainsblogger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=28940"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/highplainsblogger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28940\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28944,"href":"https:\/\/highplainsblogger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28940\/revisions\/28944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/highplainsblogger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28940"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/highplainsblogger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28940"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/highplainsblogger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28940"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}