A Lesson From Biking

Natasha Richardson's tragic death reminded me of something I was told when I was doing a lot of biking about 20 years ago. I was told that, unhelmeted, you can die from falling off a bike that's standing still. Ms. Richardson's death, happening on a bunny slpe, falling onto slushy snow show that great impact isn't necessary. I can only hope that her death gets a few more people to wear helmets both on the ski slope and on bikes. Here in NJ, our legislature enacted a law mandating helmet use by everyone under 17 on roads and public areas when biking, roller blading, and skateboarding. Unfortunately, it's widely ignored, even by the cops. I believe that failure to enforce laws breeds disrespect for the law, so the failure to enforce this law has a corrosive effect on society.

Not If, When

When I was riding my bike a lot, some people in the club I rode with made it a point to, when talking about helmets, say "when you crash" indicating that a crash was an inevitable part of riding. This lesson applies to lots of other safety gear as well.
This week, the governor of my state, Jon Corzine, got an up close and personal lesson in this truism. When you're in a car, accidents are almost inevitable. Corzine was not wearing a seatbelt. The result, 12 broken ribs, a fractured sternum, broken leg, and other injuries. Since it's not an if, wear your seatbelt!