It is time for our legistature to rethink the helmet law for Floirda!

Michael VanWagner 22 of Sparr died yesterday after being in a wreck while riding his scooter down University Ave without a helmet on Tuesday.  Although the Gainesville Sun article today, did not mention the cause of death, it had been stated by spokeswoman Officer Summer Hallett of the Gainesville PD earlier this week, that he and had sustained life-threatening head injuries when a car hit the rear of his scooter and pushed him into the back of a pickup.  VanWagner, a University of Florida student was critically injured in the car accident and had undergone surgery, at Shands at UF after being treated by the trauma team. 

If he had been a scooter riding student at a University in France or Italy or any number of European countries, this accident may have had a different ending.

As an accident lawyer in Gainesville, Ocala, and other areas of North Florida I often see the catastrophic, life changing results of scooter, moped and motorcycle riders injured in accidents when not wearing helmets.  Brain trauma and head injuries are three times more likely when "riding free" and can often be avoided or minimized if wearing a helmet for protection.  

Florida revoked the helmet law for motorcycle and scooter riders in 2000 if the rider is over 21 and as long as they carry $10,000 of Medical Payment Insurance.  Although Van Wagner was 22 and may have been riding his scooter within legal requirements many of University of Florida students are under 21.  Even if he had the required insurance, and survived, from the account of his accident and injuries, it would surely not have be enough to cover his hospital bills and rehab therapy expenses.

As a downtown resident, I often see young scooter riders going down the streets in traffic in shorts and tank tops and without a helmet for protection, much less any protective clothing, as if they are immune to injury and accidents because they are on a low powered vehicle.  It is the extremely rare rider that I see wearing a helmet; in fact more bicyclists can be seen wearing protective head gear than scooter or motorcycle riders. 

In a recent trip to Paris I observed scooter and moped riders, men and women, dressed fashionably complete with helmets.  This is because it is the law in France as well as most of the European nations including Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and many other countries, according to the World Health Organization Helmet Initiative.

Isn't it time for this State, and this Country to join Canada and the majority of the "evolved" nations and mandate helmet use and protect our riders, and taxpayers?  Statistics show when helmet use laws are enacted, helmet use increases and fatalities and serious injuries decrease. 

It is time for our legistature to rethink the helmet law for Floirda!