February 23, 2000

The "Facts" below come from The Florida Traffic Crash Facts Booklet  for 1998, promulgated by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.  Upon viewing this information we can come to some very interesting conclusions:

TABLE 1A     Comparative Safety Equipment Use By Motorcyclists and Their Passengers

* Does not include cases with safety equipment use or injury level not stated.   Note: Injuries reported for motorcyclists and bicyclists include head and other bodily injuries.

While the use of protective equipment by motorcyclists and their passengers (Table 1A) is
expected to be more effective in preventing incapacitating and fatal injury, the inclusion of all types of bodily injuries for motorcyclists and their passengers fails to show the true effect of safety helmet use.

Analysis

First let's look at the disclaimer above, "While the use of protective equipment by motorcyclists and their passengers (Table 1A) is expected to be more effective in preventing incapacitating and fatal injury, the inclusion of all types of bodily injuries for motorcyclists and their passengers fails to show the true effect of safety helmet use."  The first part of this disclaimer up to the comma is what the government has been telling us all along, wear a helmet and we expect you will be safer.

The second part is somewhat confusing, "the inclusion of all types of bodily injuries for motorcyclists and their passengers fails to show the true effect of safety helmet use."  Are they telling us that the true effects of safety helmet use are (negative) more injuries or no help in the prevention of injuries?  You can certainly read it that way.  If that is not correct then, are they saying that because other injuries besides head injuries are included, you cannot tell the true (positive) effects of helmet use?  If this is correct then, if the only variable was helmet use vs. non helmet use, and if in fact helmet use helps prevent head injuries then, isn't it logical  to conclude after looking at the "crash facts" that, helmet use must cause other bodily injuries, maybe back or neck injuries.  Finally, if there is a  true (positive) effect of safety helmet use then why the hell isn't it included with the "crash facts" booklet.  I mean geez, if you're presenting data about helmets use vs. non helmet use isn't it relevant?  It is unless your data doesn't support your theory.

Maybe we should just let the "crash facts" speak for them self.  According to the "crash facts", If you wear a safety helmet you are 2.78 times more likely to die in a traffic crash then without the helmet.  If you wear a safety helmet you are 1.34 times more likely to receive an incapacitating injury and 1.11 times more likely to receive a non incapacitating injury then without the helmet.  If you DO NOT wear a safety helmet you are 1.92 times more likely to walk away from the crash then you would be if you had your safety helmet securely fastened upon you head.  The above is all based on the "crash facts" for Florida from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

Now let me ask you a question.  Don't you think your House Representative and your Senator would like to know this information?  Do you think anyone from DHSMV has sent them a memo on these "crash facts?"

It is our job to get this to our local legislators.  It is our Job to get this to the Members of the Committee on Transportation & Economic Development Appropriations in the Florida House,  It is our job to get this information to the members of the Banking and Insurance Committee in the Florida Senate.  Feel free to cut and paste any part of this you need to if you would like to send it to your legislator.  You can then print it to snail mail or sent it in an email.  You can read the entire Florida Traffic Crash Facts Booklet by clicking here.  You will need Adobe PDF to view this file.  You can obtain the plug in by clicking here.  You can cut and paste info from here also.  You can also direct them to this website to read this article.  The most important thing is to get this information to them.

This is some of the best stuff we have seen in a long time.  It is the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles telling our legislators the helmet law isn't necessary.  Helmets do not prevent injury.  Safety helmets may in fact cause injury.  The members in the House and Senate need to hear from there constituents.  Now you have something to tell them.  Get the message out.
 

February 21, 2000

While we are waiting for the final committee meeting for HB0117 and SB0126 there are a few thing we should be doing.  If you are not a registered voter you need to register as soon as possible if you want your House Representative or your Senator to listen to you.  You can apply for registration online by visiting the Division of Elections website.  The process takes about five minutes.

Here's a bit of Florida helmet law trivia.  In 1997, HB0641 passed through three committees.  On April 17, 1997, HB0641 was read for the third time and then went to the floor for a vote.  The final vote was YEAS  58  NAYS  57. The bill was held over awaiting action in the Senate.  In the Senate, SB0224 easily passed through the Transportation Committee and all that remained was the Banking and Insurance Committee and the Ways and Means Committee committee.  On March 23, 1998  the Banking and Insurance Committee Killed SB0224 with an unfavorable recommendation to the Senate.

We need to contact the members of the Banking and Insurance Committee in the Senate and the members of the Transportation & Economic Development Appropriations Committee in the House of Representatives and ask them to support the respective bills in their committee.  If you are against the insurance requirement, ask the committee to amend the Bill by removing the insurance requirement.

Next, you need to be writing your House and Senate District representatives and letting them know about this issue and the facts concerning the helmet law.  Many of them will not be aware of the bills filed and will need you to bring them up to speed on the issue.  Visit the How to Write Your Legislator section to help you in writing your Legislator.
 

February 16, 2000

Not much action has occurred in either The Florida House of Representatives or the Florida Senate during the past few weeks.  Senate Bill 0126 was scheduled to go before the Senate Committee on Banking And Insurance on January 31, 2000 but was temporally postponed.  Although Banking and Insurance will meet on Monday February 21, 2000 at 12:30 PM, SB0126 is not scheduled to be discussed.

After being withdrawn from the Health & Human Services Appropriations Committee in early January, HB0117 is waiting to be heard by the Transportation & Economic Development Committee in the Florida House of Representatives.  Although Transportation & Economic Development is scheduled to meet twice during the week of the January 21, 2000, HB0117 is not scheduled to be discussed.

Although we have had somewhat what of a lull over the past month, things will begin to pick up in about three weeks when the Regular Session Begins on March 7, 2000 in the Florida House and Senate.  Here is a list of important dates for the 2000 session:

2000 SESSION DATES

March 7, 2000    Regular Session convenes
March 7, 2000    12:00 noon, deadline for filing bills for introduction
April 25, 2000     50th day—last day for regularly scheduled committee meetings
May 1, 2000        All bills are immediately certified pursuant to Rule 6.8.  Conference Committee
                              Reports Require only one reading pursuant to Rule 4.5
May 5, 2000        60th day—last day of Regular Session