RESPONSE

Dear Mr. Davis:

Several friends of mine around the country have contacted and directed me to your Web site. I enjoyed most of the offerings and appreciated the safety tips and Slider Gilmore's accident scene advice. Upon reading your beliefs about helmets in the Lethal or life saving-A cause or Extremism article, I decided to respond since that's what you asked for at the closing.

I agree with you about the A.I.M. attorneys not representing everyone. They certainly do not represent me either. And I don't know of that much charitable pro bono work by them, nor would I want any of them to represent me even for free, since I do know firsthand of their record. You go on to mention an introduction I wrote for a publication entitled Helmet Laws-an opposing viewpoint. Please allow my own observations here. I assume you did not read the entire publication, or possibly do not have a copy in your possession. It's true, from my recollection, that ABATE was anti-helmet. That was an historical commentary which was quite evident if the entire introduction had been read. It is common knowledge that today, ABATE stands for freedom of choice in the helmet issue, and most chapters are adamant about stating they are not anti-helmet, just anti-helmet law. I still refuse to wear one and believe I am right in my assessment of their utility. I do not try and influence others to choose as I do, but rather to exercise their right to choose. This IS a personal choice issue. The sooner citizens recognize the fact that government is intruding further into our lives as a protectionist body, the sooner we will gain back some of the rights we are losing every day. You ask that readers point out to you any untrue statements in your article. I would rather clarify some blatant mistakes. Helmet laws in general were never really a safety issue but rather a monetary issue. When states are blackmailed by the fed, our safety is paramount. When the ability to force states to succumb to its will is removed, along with monetary sanctions, helmet laws go away. If you would have read the entire opposing viewpoint book, if you have one, you would have noticed that the General Motors Technical Research Team conducted studies with Hybrid II test dummies strapped in Indy race cars. Their findings were positive for most safety aspects in crashes except one.

They found that without a padded dash and surrounding compartment, the loads to the neck in a crash with a full helmet on would be unacceptable. In fact, fatal. It seems the padded environment reduces to energy loads to the neck in a crash. Of course, we don't have that luxury on a motorcycle. God help us if that is the next design concept from NHTSA. They tried to build a safer motorcycle once before, at a cost exceeding $400,000.00 taxpayer dollars. Hell of a looking thing, and they couldn't steer it.

As far as your analogy about someone falling off their saddle and striking their head let me say this actually happened, almost like in your example. The difference being the person was standing on the sidewalk, stepped wrong and fell into the street, suffering a fractured neck which was fatal. Oh yeah, he was wearing a helmet at the time. If you want to take the time to read some negative news about helmets, I'll send you an abstract of the case, or at least the cite, and Ms. Anthony can look it up for you.

Your other comparison about a minor child riding without a helmet is interesting also. You tend to enjoy mixing apples and oranges a lot in your analogies. A minor is just that, and can be forced by the state on matters of personal protection. An adult should not be sheltered in the same way. This is why I oppose helmet law modifications allowing for those over 21 years of age to decide whether or not to wear a helmet. I believe that choice should come at 18. Spare me the arguments about drinking age requirements, because that again is a different legal issue and removes us further from the case in point. You call the argument about helmets causing injury extreme and binary logic. The fact of the matter is that they DO cause injury. They are tested in a static position (hardly representative of a true crash) by dropping a weight which attains a speed of slightly over 13mph. They use only a size C head form in these tests, not a full human form articulating test dummy. Is that because no helmet would pass a test addressing energy loads to the cervical spine?

Our argument on this matter is not to ban helmets, only helmet mandates, the reason being if they cause the many injuries attributed to them, and there are many more than NHTSA would have you believe, then why is government mandating their use? Our belief is that helmet use in voluntary states varies from 47 to 52 %. Not everybody is going to throw out their helmets if the law is repealed. Our state has spoken out loudly about this issue. Again, referring you to the opposing viewpoint book, our governor, Secretary of Transportation and Department of Transportation have all stated that Wisconsin does not need a mandatory helmet law. We post one of the best records in the nation, along with an award winning safety program. We took matters into our own hands and promoted safety and awareness as the true way to reduce injury and deaths. Helmets do not prevent accidents, which should be our goal.

I hope this helps to clarify some things about ABATE and what we stand for today, not 22 years ago. Thank you for acknowledging some of the charitable work we do. We are not today an anti-helmet organization. We are, and always have been a motorcyclist's rights organization.

Very truly yours,

Tony Pan Sanfelipo

Founder, ABATE of Wisconsin
Founder, B.O.L.T.
Member: ABATE of Wisconsin Board of Directors
ABATE of California
ABATE of Illinois, Brothers of Grundy Chapter
Helmet Law Defense League Director, Wisconsin
B.R.A.G. of Michigan
I.M.P.A.C.T. on Legislation
Motorcycle Riders Foundation
National Motorists Association
Former six year member, Wisconsin Motorcycle Safety Advisory Board
Currently, Accident Investigator, Motorcycle Case Specialist

And proud to wear my patches showing affiliations to the above, all the time, everywhere I go!!