Biker Bill

BIKER BILL - Total geek with the helmet.

This amazing weather created a yearning to hit the trails on my bike.  Yeah, I'm a biker!  Biker Bill!


Okay, it's not a Harley... I love riding my bicycle.

There's just something about hopping on and going for a spin, especially when the sky is clear, the sun is warm and the breeze is refreshing.

I have a couple friends who refuse to ride bike with me because I wear a helmet when I ride.

Apparently they've never seen someone with a closed head injury.

So why do I wear a helmet?  Why should YOU?

Here's a summary of US statistics available from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: Traffic Safety Facts - 2009 Data (the most recent I could find.)

• 630 bicyclists died on US roads in 2009 (718 in 2008, 1,003 in 1975)
• 74 were 14 or younger, a reduction of 58 per cent from the 178 killed in 2000.
• Bicyclist deaths represented 2 per cent of all 2009 traffic fatalities.51,000 bicyclists were injured in traffic in 2009 (Up sharply from 43,000 in 2007)
• One-seventh of the cyclists killed were between 5 and 15 years old.
• Average age of a bicyclist killed on US roads: 41Average age of a bicyclist injured on US roads: 31
• Fatal crashes typically were urban (69%) and not at intersections (64%).

Sunday I was riding my bike and as I entered an intersection -- where I had a green light -- a driver in a car decided to make a right turn in front of me.  Thankfully I saw her coming AND she saw me or else I would have been hit.

So, if you're embarrassed to ride your bike with me wearing a helmet -- GET OVER IT!