When I was a kid, I wanted a motorbike in the worst possible way. I vividly recall the bitter arguments with my parents, when they refused to consider even the possibility. Years later, the scenario was replayed, between my son and me — and I became the “bad guy.”
It’s not that I have anything against motorcycles — not really. Most of us realize that a two-wheel vehicle is less stable and potentially more dangerous than a four-wheel vehicle. And one visit to a hospital emergency room after a motorbike accident victim has been admitted is sufficient to confirm a parent’s worst fears, when a son or daughter makes an ardent plea for this form of transportation.
But any type of machinery or mechanized equipment can be dangerous, if the right precautions are not taken. It always amazes me that airplane passengers don’t hesitate to fasten their seat belts when requested to do so, but many of those same people struggle with rush-hour traffic on the freeway without applying the same precaution.
Even though states have introduced laws enforcing the use of automobile seat belts, it’s unbelievable how many people find excuses not to use them. Yet statistics show clearly that seat belts save lives. Many law enforcement officers have been quoted as saying they have never unbuckled a dead person.
And what about eyeglasses, especially the protective kind? Regular eyeglasses can shatter if struck by a piece of flying metal, and specially constructed safety glasses always should be worn when working around any type of material that can damage the eyes.
No one wants to be blinded because he or she was too stubborn to wear safety glasses either at work or while pursuing a favorite hobby. It can take but a split second for an unexpected or “freak” accident to change a person’s life forever.
But let’s get back to the motorbike for a minute. No, I can’t make you wear a safety helmet, but I can tell you that most motorbike accident victims suffering from devastating or fatal head injuries were not wearing a helmet.
And safety belts in your car? Maybe it’s sufficient to say that, after many years of tending accident victims in the emergency room, I think there are very few tragedies that can top the sight of a badly injured child who’s been hurled into the dashboard or through the windshield of a car because he or she was not wearing a safety belt.
Of course, nothing is 100 percent absolutely safe. But every safety device used brings you a whole lot closer to being protected than if you make no effort at all.
Dr. Michael M. Warren is Ashbel Smith professor of surgery at University of Texas Medical Branch Division of Urology.
