Bogus Helmets
What you know...could save your life (and time and money)
 The opening statement on the Washington State Patrol's new three panel
brochure says "What you know could save your life." I think it
could more often save you time and money.
This article isn't intended to argue the helmet law, or dispute what
constitutes a DOT approved helmet. If anything this article might
encourage you to trash your novelty skid lid, or discourage you from buying one based on the hassle factor alone.
Suppose you're looking for a new spouse and you happen
across a potential mate who is a heroin junkie, verbally abusive and broke the
windshields of his/her last three lover's cars. You have the option to
steer clear of this mess and move on in your search. I'm fairly certain
you would opt to leave this scenario alone.
So let's take the same concept of, shall we say "hassle", and apply
it to the existing helmet law. Is the gray area of the law worth breaking
and fighting one person at a time for?
The Washington State Patrol has released an informative piece that describes
what constitutes a DOT approved helmet. You can
download
the brochure for free in a PDF file from their website. WSP makes a
good point in that the "bogus" helmet they feature costs $79. If
you get stopped with it on you are fined an additional $71. Basically your
$79 bogus helmet pays the state an annuity of $71 each time you are stopped for
wearing it.
You may win or lose that case, but I'd have to ask, why exert the time and
effort to win it when I know you have better things to do with your life than
hire attorneys and hang around the courtroom.
The reason that all this becomes a gray area is that the current Motorcycle
Manual does not specify to the user what a DOT approved helmet is, just that they wear one. One what? Therefore there are those who work with attorneys to beat the rap and sometimes
do based on lack of availability of the law. (I beat parking citations in
Seattle all the time using the same strategy, "I think you could find the municipal
code at the library" says the magistrate and I walk out paying a $5 admin
fee.)
Why has the DOL never included the details of what specifications apply to a
DOT approved helmet in the
motorcycle
operators manual? It's possible we may see this turned around the next time the manual is printed.
Understand, I'm not saying I am for or against any
helmet laws or regulation, but what I am for is that the gray area of the law
get black and white - the sooner the better.
My suggestion here is that DOL publish
the specifications sooner than later and lets be done with it.
PT/Summer 01 |
