# Florida lawyer who successfully fought Florida's motorcycle helmet law dies in a motorcycle accident while not wearing a helmet **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 25, 2022, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-lawyer-who-successfully-fought-floridas-motorcycle-helmet-law-dies-in-a-motorcycle-accident-while-not-wearing-a-helmet/973779 "2022-10-25T20:59:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-lawyer-who-successfully-fought-floridas-motorcycle-helmet-law-dies-in-a-motorcycle-accident-while-not-wearing-a-helmet/973779/21 "2022-10-26T01:38:31Z")
> [@gkster](#): > > Even so, that rule might not be needed at this point. **Riders who had previously resisted helmets have started wearing them** , Rodriguez said. And on his first ride after the deaths, Rodriguez made an observation while looking at all the riders in the group. > > **“Every single one had a helmet on,”** he said." And the hell of it is, motorcycle helmets are just another form of great personalization! You can make it look badass or cute or anything in between! Who wouldn’t want that? That’s one reason I didn’t resist wearing a mask. I found a cute one that has foxes on it. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-lawyer-who-successfully-fought-floridas-motorcycle-helmet-law-dies-in-a-motorcycle-accident-while-not-wearing-a-helmet/973779/22 "2022-10-26T02:51:01Z")
> [@ekedolphin](#): > > And the hell of it is, motorcycle helmets are just another form of great personalization! You can make it look badass or cute or anything in between! Who wouldn’t want that? That’s one reason I didn’t resist wearing a mask. I found a cute one that has foxes on it. The bicycle industry has certainly discovered this! Bike shops sell packages of matching pedals, seats, handlebar grips, gloves and helmets – available in dozens of colors. And ones endorsed by various famous bike racers. Some bike shops even have employees who are designated fashion coordinators. All for what looks to me to be really good profit margins for the store. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-lawyer-who-successfully-fought-floridas-motorcycle-helmet-law-dies-in-a-motorcycle-accident-while-not-wearing-a-helmet/973779/23 "2022-10-26T03:09:24Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Yes, that’s an old joke: > > Q: What do ER doctors call motorcyclists without helmets? > A: Organ donors I once worked for the State Hospitals system. One State Hospital had a wing for patient with Traumatic Brain Injury, ranging from high-functioning patients to those in a persistent vegetative state. The employees gave pretty good care to their patents there, but they had a nickname for that – the Harley-Davidson wing. And, like others have said, it’s not just the injured patients who were affected. Not that this very expensive care was paid for by the taxpayers of the state, not the helmet-less motorcycle riders. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-lawyer-who-successfully-fought-floridas-motorcycle-helmet-law-dies-in-a-motorcycle-accident-while-not-wearing-a-helmet/973779/24 "2022-10-26T03:23:17Z")
> [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](#): > > Not that this very expensive care was paid for by the taxpayers of the state, not the helmet-less motorcycle riders. I’m sorry, I’m confused by this. Who did pay then? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-lawyer-who-successfully-fought-floridas-motorcycle-helmet-law-dies-in-a-motorcycle-accident-while-not-wearing-a-helmet/973779/25 "2022-10-26T03:32:28Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > I’m sorry, I’m confused by this. Who did pay then? I assume he meant “ **note** that this…” ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-lawyer-who-successfully-fought-floridas-motorcycle-helmet-law-dies-in-a-motorcycle-accident-while-not-wearing-a-helmet/973779/26 "2022-10-26T03:32:50Z")
ninja’d! ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-lawyer-who-successfully-fought-floridas-motorcycle-helmet-law-dies-in-a-motorcycle-accident-while-not-wearing-a-helmet/973779/27 "2022-10-26T03:44:52Z")
> [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](#): > > Bike shops sell packages of matching pedals, seats, handlebar grips, gloves and helmets – available in dozens of colors. How do you tell a new motocross rider? > **** > > His bike and helmet still match. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-lawyer-who-successfully-fought-floridas-motorcycle-helmet-law-dies-in-a-motorcycle-accident-while-not-wearing-a-helmet/973779/28 "2022-10-26T03:50:25Z")
Hey, they had to have $10,000 in insurance. That’ll buy a huge amount of emergency medical care for head injuries. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-lawyer-who-successfully-fought-floridas-motorcycle-helmet-law-dies-in-a-motorcycle-accident-while-not-wearing-a-helmet/973779/29 "2022-10-26T04:03:34Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > This is why I never write adults cites for not wearing a seat belt. If you want to smash through the windshield or go flying out of the car in an accident more power to you. There’s more to it than just the individual. One reason for drivers to wear seat belts is to help ensure they keep control if they vehicle in case of skids or accidents. An unbelted driver is more likely to lose control in those situations, increasing the risk to others. That’s why airline pilots wear harnesses, to keep them in their seats and in control in case of turbulence, especially take/off and landing. That’s a safety precaution to benefit everyone on the plane. Ci sequences may not be as severe for a driver losing control of a vehicle, but it’s still a risk to others if you don’t wear a seat belt. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-lawyer-who-successfully-fought-floridas-motorcycle-helmet-law-dies-in-a-motorcycle-accident-while-not-wearing-a-helmet/973779/30 "2022-10-26T04:17:11Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > Hey, they had to have $10,000 in insurance. That’ll buy a huge amount of emergency medical care for head injuries. Like one whole week of care? Or maybe a cologne days. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-lawyer-who-successfully-fought-floridas-motorcycle-helmet-law-dies-in-a-motorcycle-accident-while-not-wearing-a-helmet/973779/31 "2022-10-26T04:20:57Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > > [@pkbites](#): > > > > This is why I never write adults cites for not wearing a seat belt. If you want to smash through the windshield or go flying out of the car in an accident more power to you. > > There’s more to it than just the individual. One reason for drivers to wear seat belts is to help ensure they keep control if they vehicle in case of skids or accidents. An unbelted driver is more likely to lose control in those situations, increasing the risk to others. The huge majority of problems happen inside the vehicle. An unbelted passenger can harm a belted passenger inside the same vehicle. But such stupidity is not going to be cured by a $10 ticket. I have been given discretion to cite or not by SOP and I don’t cite adults especially since they’re probably getting a cite for the reason I pulled them over in the first place. No reason to pile it on. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-lawyer-who-successfully-fought-floridas-motorcycle-helmet-law-dies-in-a-motorcycle-accident-while-not-wearing-a-helmet/973779/32 "2022-10-26T04:21:21Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > What I’m trying to say, in my heavy-handed way, is that the consequences are almost never limited to the person making the “fun vs. safety” decision. Life is not, of course, free from risks even when people try to be safe. But actions usually have consequences beyond the individual who acts. You said it just fine. If people want to do crazy-ass things of any kind, I say: sure, enjoy your freedom, or free-dumb, or whatever motivates you, IF your behavior isn’t going to cost the rest of us who have to pay taxes to scrape what remains of your body off the asphalt, SS fees for young children because mommy or daddy died, or whatever. But once your stoopid affects everyone else, then I have a right to offer an opinion on your dumb behavior. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-lawyer-who-successfully-fought-floridas-motorcycle-helmet-law-dies-in-a-motorcycle-accident-while-not-wearing-a-helmet/973779/33 "2022-10-26T05:42:29Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > > [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > > > Hey, they had to have $10,000 in insurance. That’ll buy a huge amount of emergency medical care for head injuries. > > Like one whole week of care? Or maybe a cologne days. I have a traumatic brain injury from a reckless driver. $10,000 would not have covered even the first month of outpatient rehab I needed. An emergency room stay for a vehicular TBI could easily cost that the first few hours you were there. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-lawyer-who-successfully-fought-floridas-motorcycle-helmet-law-dies-in-a-motorcycle-accident-while-not-wearing-a-helmet/973779/34 "2022-10-26T06:24:06Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > If people want to do crazy-ass things of any kind, I say: sure, enjoy your freedom, or free-dumb, or whatever motivates you, IF your behavior isn’t going to cost the rest of us who have to pay taxes to scrape what remains of your body off the asphalt, SS fees for young children because mommy or daddy died, or whatever. But once your stoopid affects everyone else, then I have a right to offer an opinion on your dumb behavior. The problem is finding some balance between mandating extreme caution to avoid the societal cost of accidents, and permitting personal freedom. I don’t think we necessarily get this balance right, - humans suck at assessing risk - but it’s an intractable problem. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-lawyer-who-successfully-fought-floridas-motorcycle-helmet-law-dies-in-a-motorcycle-accident-while-not-wearing-a-helmet/973779/35 "2022-10-26T07:16:20Z")
Nevermind. My point has already been expressed via ninjas. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-lawyer-who-successfully-fought-floridas-motorcycle-helmet-law-dies-in-a-motorcycle-accident-while-not-wearing-a-helmet/973779/36 "2022-10-26T10:38:21Z")
Despite the sanctimonious opinions here, most motorcyclist deaths are caused by vehicles turning left in front of them. My good friend was killed by a geriatric truck driver who turned in front of him. Tom was not speeding and wore leathers and a helmet. Still someone had to scrape him off the pavement and that sucks not just for taxpayers. And for real people bitching about motorcycle accident cleanups as a misuse of taxpayer dollars? More dumb fucks in cars smearing themselves across the road than anything else. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-lawyer-who-successfully-fought-floridas-motorcycle-helmet-law-dies-in-a-motorcycle-accident-while-not-wearing-a-helmet/973779/37 "2022-10-26T11:13:45Z")
Nanno, hey! 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-lawyer-who-successfully-fought-floridas-motorcycle-helmet-law-dies-in-a-motorcycle-accident-while-not-wearing-a-helmet/973779/38 "2022-10-26T12:49:39Z")
From my motorcycle instructor days, I believe most motorcycle accidents are single vehicle accidents, where the rider could not control their bike. But my memory could be foggy about that. I might have to look it up. Having the freedom to ride without a helmet must also include covering the costs for scraping your ass off the pavement when you go down, so that the financial burden does not fall on John Q and Jane Q Taxpayer. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-lawyer-who-successfully-fought-floridas-motorcycle-helmet-law-dies-in-a-motorcycle-accident-while-not-wearing-a-helmet/973779/39 "2022-10-26T12:54:21Z")
A quick search found this, the top ten causes of motorcycle accidents, and the first 7 reasons all have to do with the rider’s skills and abilities and not being impaired. Causes from other road users are numbers 8, 9, and 10. > **[10 Top Motorcycle Accident Causes - Ride Vision](https://ride.vision/blog/10-top-motorcycle-accident-causes/)** > > What are the 10 Top Motorcycle Accident Causes? In this article we list the major accident causes and what can you do to avoid. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-lawyer-who-successfully-fought-floridas-motorcycle-helmet-law-dies-in-a-motorcycle-accident-while-not-wearing-a-helmet/973779/40 "2022-10-26T13:12:32Z")
I don’t think that claims to be an ordered list, so it doesn’t mean that the first 7 are the most common and other road users causing accidents is less common. It’s just the way they chose to group/list them. No dog in this fight, ultimately there are too many motorcycle accidents caused by motorcyclists AND other road users. Both can often do better at preventing them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-lawyer-who-successfully-fought-floridas-motorcycle-helmet-law-dies-in-a-motorcycle-accident-while-not-wearing-a-helmet/973779.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/florida-lawyer-who-successfully-fought-floridas-motorcycle-helmet-law-dies-in-a-motorcycle-accident-while-not-wearing-a-helmet/973779.md?page=3)