Reminder: Wear a Helmet

I often see article about scooterists being seriously hurt in crashes. Most of these articles I find through internet searches. I follow the link from the 2-sentence lead to find out if the article cites what type of gear the scooterist was wearing. Here is a recent one from the Arizona Republic:

2 injured in scooter crash

Zach Fowle
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 21, 2008 10:09 AM
A man and a woman suffered serious head injuries Thursday when a car collided with their scooter.

Charles Herin, 49, and Christine Flores, 42, were riding a scooter near 15th Avenue and Highland Road when a driver of a Volkswagen sedan failed to yield and crashed into them Thursday afternoon.

Herin is in serious condition and Flores is in critical condition. Neither was wearing a helmet, police said.

Those type of articles burn me up. Nothing about the reporting; everything about the stupidity of someone who doesn't take the most simple form of protection to heart: wear a helmet.

So, it sounds as if the accident was the car driver's fault. Even if the scooterists were practicing the best driving techniques, they couldn't help it if there was another person who is careless, stupid, clueless or just a terrible driver. Wearing a helmet and protective gear give you a chance. Not wearing a helmet puts you at a disadvantage.