[wplug] OT: Risk management (helmet laws)

[Jonathan S. Billings]

On Tue, 2006-06-13 at 07:26 -0700, Shane Liesegang wrote:
> Out here in California, it's legal for motorcyclists to drive between 
> lanes on the freeways. It's a good way to scoot through traffic when 
> it's stopped, I suppose, but it seems like a terribly unnecessary risk 
> -- there have been plenty of times where I've been about to change 
> lanes, but had a motorcycle zoom by me at the last second out of 
> nowhere. If I was a little less cautious in checking my mirrors, it 
> could have been disastrous.
> 
> In this case, California's helmet law is quite strict, but then we go 
> and let them do things that just make it that much more dangerous.

I've driven on California's roads -- these are wide expanses of 4 or 5
lanes.  Imagine trying to pull this off in Pittsburgh's narrow, cramped
highway corridors?  I'm not saying it's any safer in California, in fact
I'd think that the frequent traffic jams there might make it nearly
impossible to stop such behavior.  Easier to make it legal than hire
more motorcycle cops to prevent it.

-- 
Jonathan Billings 

It's not an optical illusion, it just looks like one.
		-- Phil White