Maybe all of these people involved drive cars and prefer to make their own judgment about personal safety. And helmets can and do kill, maim and paralyze a percentage of wearers, probably to a greater degree than airbag incidents. Yet this is acceptable to those who do not ride. The media do not report this as a relevant issue. It is well past time for the media to have an honest discussion with both sides of the issue and not merely the opinions of the nonriding dilettantes who decry giving anyone the right to decide for themselves a matter that they themselves would not engage in.
Responsible journalism demands it.
It is ironic that head injuries are far and away the leading cause of death in auto accidents, yet no one is calling for drivers and passengers to wear helmets. No one is calling for mandating that anyone near the water wear a flotation device. No one is demanding a legislated fat-free diet to prevent heart disease. The list is endless. The means to procure a risk-free society would simply be too intrusive for most people.