ridecamp@endurance.net: Need advice re: helmet req't for club trail rides

Need advice re: helmet req't for club trail rides

(no name) ((no email))
25 Feb 97 13:21:53 EDT

I need advice regarding helmets at our club's sponsored trail rides
and for our open show for this July.

One specific thing has bothered me since I started reading the helmet
debates. That is, do clubs that sponsor events get sued very often for
injury-related damages at the event? What are the chances it will be
more than a million dollars? I heard that head injuries are one of the
most common kind that are sued over, so now I want the numbers.

We have paid for our club's events to be insured, but not for a whole lot.
Us officers will ultimately be personally responsible, I understand. If I
run a big risk of losing everything I own, I won't volunteer to be an officer
again unless we buy a bigger policy.

Another, smaller club I belong to doesn't have any insurance. They
want me to organize a (basically) 25-mile pleasure ride, using the trail
that I condition on, which has some deep water and road-crossings.

Does anybody have any experience in this area? I'd like to
require even adults wear helmets at least in classes over fences to
decrease the chance of someone sueing our club (and us) for a head
injury incurred at our event. This doesn't have anything to do with the
government or an organization as big as AERC.

Joe Long once said:
<<<<<I find a line of reasoning set out in some of these posts to be very
dangerous. That is the one that says: If a choice you can make may
result in your being injured, and then we (taxpayers) have to pay for
your care, that gives us (taxpayers) the right to force you to make
the choice we consider to be the safe choice.....If the government can
force us to do things "for our own good" on the
grounds that the government must care for us if we get hurt, then we
have lost all our freedom. We could soon find ourselves in a police
state the likes of which the world has never seen....I *ALWAYS* wear
a seal belt when I drive, no exceptions -- but I
oppose seat belt laws. I always wore a helment when riding a
motorcycle but I oppose helmet laws.....Children do not have the same
rights as adults, and should not, because their judgement and
experience is not mature. As an AERC Director I supported requiring
Junior Riders to wear *approved* helmets, but absolutely opposed any
similar rule for adult riders.... I also believe
in personal freedom, which includes the choice to not wear a helmet
if someone chooses. Yes, a few people may be severly injured due to
their choice and become "burdens to society," but that is just part
of the cost of freedom. The fact that you might have to pay a few
pennies toward my health care if I get hurt does not give you the
right to dictate my actions!!!!!!! Nor does it allow me to dictate yours.
I believe Ben Franklin said something to the effect "Those who would
sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither freedom nor security."
Joe Long Rainbow Connection Arabians>>>>>>

I wonder, if you feel the same way as Joe, could you please e-mail me
privately with what you'd do in our situation with our show at
jbri@voicenet.com Thanks in advance, Bridget in SE PA

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