Mandatory Helmet Law

Thank you for emphasizing that the “ride free or die” crowd becomes a very expensive burden to society when they are injured and have no insurance or assets to pay for required care. You might also emphasize that not only are head injuries extremely expensive to treat in the short run, but they can also cause mental and physical impairment that take years to appear.

There is a possible solution that I have not seen suggested. Why not assess the motorcycle manufacturing industry for the care for injured motorcyclists? These cyclists can then bear the cost of their freedom directly through the price of their motorcycles rather than by having the non-biker population subsidize them.

There should also be a law that limits the recovery of any cyclist who is injured while not wearing a helmet to the minimum financial responsibility limits of the state of California. Why should the motoring public be exposed to sky-high lawsuits from a group who are unwilling to protect themselves in this most rudimentary and effective way?

JOHN MANNING

Huntington Beach