I've been following a story on another board. A woman's BIL was in an motorcycle accident a week or so ago and he wasn't wearing a helmet. He died this morning leaving a young wife (30s) and 3 kids. It's so tragic yet I can't help feeling that he was selfish too. Why wasn't he wearing a helmet? Why would you take such a chance when you have a young family? And why does Florida have such sucky laws when it comes to motor vehicle safety?! In June 2000, FL overturned the law that motorcyclists would have to wear a helmet if they were a) over 21 and b) carried over $10,000 in medical. WHY? According to this NHTSA report, motorcycle fatalities increased by 81% during 2001-2003 compared to 1997-1999....Non fatal injuries jumped by 32%. I just don't get it. What makes it worth the risk? You don't want helmet hair?!
And don't get me started on FL's child car seat safety laws. They are such a joke. So according to this, there is no law for infants and being rearfacing (12mo AND 20lbs MINIMUM to turn forward facing), only that they are properly restrained. And your 4yr old can sit on your car's seat as long as they are wearing a seat belt. OMG. Do you know what a seat belt alone would do to a small child? How many 4-5yr old do you know that would sit still in a seatbelt, not lean over, slouch etc. There's nothing there about even being in the front seat or turning off airbags! Here's the law...
1)(a) Every operator of a motor vehicle as defined herein, while transporting a child in a motor vehicle operated on the roadways, streets, or highways of this state, shall, if the child is 5 years of age or younger, provide for protection of the child by properly using a crash-tested, federally approved child restraint device. For children aged through 3 years, such restraint device must be a separate carrier or a vehicle manufacturer's integrated child seat. For children aged 4 through 5 years, a separate carrier, an integrated child seat, or a seat belt may be used.
What I just posted above is the law but at least the DOT does give better guidelines. If this isn't a joke, I don't know what is. This "law" was passed in....1982!!!!! Seriously?! That's over 25 years ago! Again I ask WHY? Why do we have such outdated laws? Other states are passing laws that state kids must remain in child safety seats until at least 8yrs old and 80lbs and only 3yr olds need to be in seats in FL? I think I may go throw up now.
3 years ago
2 comments:
I was SHOCKED when I read the helmet laws in this state about a year ago (after I saw a parent riding around with a young child on the back of a motorcycle and neither had a helmet). If I had been thinking, I would have called the police. Although I doubt they would have done anything. And the car seat laws just are pathetic! It's so funny to think that Tyler could be in a traditional booster here in FL but in NJ he's required to be harnessed. It's pathetic.
Yeah, I was kind of shocked the first time I saw someone riding a motorcycle without a helmet on. In MD, it's the law that you must wear a helmet and I just assumed it was like that everywhere.
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