Retired CHP - Cop talk - Question about helmets strikes a safety nerve...

OFF THE WIRE

Q: Mr. Hight, is it true that the CHP no longer writes tickets for non-D.O.T. helmets?




Secondly, does the Department of Transportation even inspect these helmets?



A: You hit on one of those topics that I have personal issues with. I had issues when employed by the CHP and it came out with a policy dealing with motorcycle helmet enforcement.



Let me start with a few facts regarding motorcycle crashes. These are not statistics I just pulled out of the air. They are provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.



I realize that the moment I mention this, there are going to be (literally) die-hard riders who will dispute everything from this point on. But, oh well, get over it.



What seems to have been forgotten is that motorcyclists — of which I am proud to be one — are injured or killed in more than 80 percent of crashes. A motorcyclist is 21 times more likely to be killed per mile driven than a car driver. Wearing a helmet reduces that risk by 29 percent.



I realize that here in the north state there are not as many motorcycles as compared with major metropolitan areas, especially in inclement whether. But 2 percent of all vehicles are motorcycles, and 8 percent of crash fatalities are motorcycle riders.



As I recall it was January 1992 that the helmet law came into effect in California. The vehicle code section was specific in that the helmet had to meet certain requirements imposed by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 218 (49 C.F.R. Sec. 571.218). You can obviously read the entire section, but the long and short of it is that helmets had to meet certain requirements and labeling and generally serve a purpose other than a fiberglass version of a Jewish yarmulke.



Needless to say, many riders came out with their own versions of what they felt was appropriate and in no way complied with what the vehicle code stated then and still requires today. Just for those of you that would like to look it up, CVC 27803.



Citations were being issued daily for unlawful helmets. And, like it or not, injuries and deaths were being prevented. I can still recall rolling to several motorcycle crashes and learning that the rider could have sustained far lesser injuries had he been wearing an approved helmet and not the improvised brain bucket that he thought was cool.



So back to the reader’s original question. Unless the rider is wearing something as obvious as to not be an approved helmet i.e., football helmet, baseball cap, fireman’s helmet, no citation will be issued. We are going to have to live — or more likely not live — with those little skull helmets that are so popular.



As far as the second part of the question, all approved helmets will have the appropriate labeling and certification tags that are in compliance with the FMVSS I mentioned earlier.



So yes, I do have an opinion on this topic and still have an issue with a policy that I cannot support (I complied with it when required). I just cannot understand how we can allow an individual we stopped for speeding and knowing without a doubt that his skull cap does not comply with the vehicle code, let him get back on his bike and ride down the road. Then, 10 minutes later hear about of a solo motorcycle crash where the rider sustained fatal head injuries and my ticket is still in his pocket.



With that sobering thought and when the weather clears, please secure your approved helmet properly and go out and enjoy the ride.
Monty Hight is a retired CHP officer. He can be reached at coptalk@charter.net.