Rider education is stressed

With the open road flying by and the wind blowing through their hair, Illinois motorcyclists get to experience what can only be felt inside three state borders – riding with no helmet laws.

The riders that enjoy this freedom can take a deep breath and relax, because this year was the first year within the last decade that a helmet law was not proposed in the Illinois legislature. Many give credit to the hard-working bikers across the United States, who, over time, have consistently proven that they can keep helmet laws from being passed.

Motorcyclists rights organizations like A Brotherhood Aimed Toward Education fight such laws in order to safeguard motorcyclists’ rights. Such organizations consist of motorcyclists from all over the United States. They keep the Legislature informed of their position on any legislation, such as helmet laws, that is unfair or discriminatory toward motorcyclists.

Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, said he is opposed to any law making it mandatory for motorcyclists in Illinois to wear a helmet.

“I believe it’s a personal choice,” Bost said. “I wear a helmet. In fact it saved my life.”

Bost said that in 1979, he was riding his motorcycle through the intersection of Pleasant Hill Road and U.S. Route 51 when a drunk driver, who was traveling about 65 mph, hit him. He suffered several injuries, including a thrown-out back and a twisted ankle. But, in the end, it was the scraped and smashed helmet that helped him survive the incident.

“If you would have seen the helmet, you would see how it saved my head,” Bost said.

Illinois currently has no requirements for helmet usage. The last helmet law in Illinois was passed in 1968, when Illinois passed a helmet law similar to other states mandating helmets for motorcycle riders. The statute, however, was challenged and the Illinois Supreme Court ruled the law an abuse of the police power, and therefore void because it was unconstitutional.

Iowa, Colorado and Illinois are the only three states in which helmet laws do not exist. As for the rest of the United States, 27 states have amended their helmet laws to require only those under a certain age, usually between 21 and 18 depending on the state, to wear helmets when riding. The other 20 remaining states have laws requiring all riders to wear protective helmets.

Chuck Blumstein, a recent computer and electrical engineering graduate of SIUC from Belvidere, has been riding motorcycles for about three years. He said riding without a helmet is just more comfortable than riding with one.

Although being comfortable is important to Blumstein, he does wear his helmet when riding long distances, but not for the reason people might expect.

“It’s not as much for safety,” Blumstein said. “It keeps the bugs from hitting me in the face.”

Greg Smith, a salesman for Phillip’s Pro-Cycle in Carbondale and a long-time motorcycle rider, said he has no opinion regarding any legislation dealing with helmets. However, he said Phillip’s Pro-Cycle does sell a lot of helmets to its customers.

“Many of our customers buy helmets,” he said. “I believe they are making a wise and informed decision in doing so.”

Smith is a loyal advocate for the safety and education of riders and believes these are major factors in keeping motorcyclists safe.

“Rider education is a sound and pro-active approach to reduce the death and injuries of motorcyclists,” Smith said.

According to Smith, riders need this education in order to be more informed and prepared when they are on the road.

Helmet laws or no helmet laws, most motorcyclists will agree that the stress should be on education. Whether they take a class or are educating themselves, smart riders are safe riders.

“We need to teach them the skill and information they need to know when riding,” Smith said.

The Motorcycle Rider Program at SIUC provides a Basic Rider Course (BRC) and an Experienced Rider Course (ERC) for anybody interested in gaining greater knowledge and skill of motorcycle riding. For more information on this program, call 453-2877.

Reporter Jacey Cain can be reached at [email protected].