By
The Wildcat Opinions Board
James Thomas Haley's family is probably going through some of the toughest times it has ever been forced to face. Early Monday morning, the University of Arizona freshman was killed after reportedly running a stop sign on his motorcycle and colliding with a tow truck at East First Street and North Cherry Avenue.
Certainly, Haley's family has our heartfelt sympathies, as the suffering they are going through is something no family should have to deal with, especially when the case involves a 19 year old with the majority of his life still ahead of him. The accident is a tragedy in every sense of the word, but what makes it even worse (if that's possible) is that Haley's death might have been prevented had he been wearing a helmet.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 2,200 motorcyclists are killed each year in bike accidents. During an 11-year span between 1984 and 1995, about 24,200 bikers died from injuries suffered while riding their motorcycles. In that same time span, the NHTSA reports that helmets saved more than 7,400 lives, and could have done the same in 6,300 additional cases where unhelmeted riders were killed.
In addition, the NHTSA submitted a report to Congress in 1996 that stated "unhelmeted motorcyclists were over three times as likely to suffer a brain injury as were helmeted cyclists."
Considering these statistics, it just doesn't make sense that motorcyclists - and bicyclists for that matter - would not strap on their helmets every time they hit the road. Some might argue that they are extremely safe every time out and faithfully obey all traffic regulations to further ensure their well-being. But what about the things that they can't control, like other motorists? Can they prevent other motorists from driving dangerously and endangering their lives? Of course not.
"Certainly, just seeing these accidents, if you're wearing a helmet you're likely going to increase your chance of survival," said Sgt. Judy Altieri, a spokeswoman for Tucson Police.
Tim Otten, Haley's roommate at the Phi Delta Theta fraternity house, said Haley always wore a helmet when he went riding off-campus. But during on-campus trips, it was a different story.
"But usually when he was on campus he did not," Otten told the Arizona Daily Wildcat on Monday.
Failing to properly equip himself on his Monday morning ride does not make Haley a dumb person, as he always wore one during his off-rides. He just made a mistake. The unexpected tragedy also goes to show us how precious life really is and how it can change drastically in the blink of an eye.
Finding something positive to take away from Haley's death might seem hard to his family and friends, as they understandably are in a state of shock right now. But the rest of the UA community can certainly learn something from the accident. No matter how short the ride or how well you might know a route you've ridden 100 times, wear a helmet. If you don't have one, buy one and wear it religiously.
It might save your life.
