Why Do You Wear a Helmet?

To this question most people tend to answer "for our own safety".

How honest is this answer?

I ain't sure of seat-belts but helmets have saved several lives involving accidents of two-wheelers in my city. However, I haven't met any person who actually wears a helmet because of safety reasons.

In reality, most people wear helmets for some other sort of "safety" - it's safety from the challans of traffic police. People play several tricks to escape the police ticket, like carrying helmet in their arms and wearing only if they see some traffic personnel at a distance. Many people don't wear helmet where they don't expect any traffic marshal on the way.

Today evening I went to a shop in neighbourhood on a two-wheeler. When I was leaving that shop, I tried to recall that there was something on me when I entered here. And then my eyes noticed that there was a helmet kept on the counter top, which was mine. "Here it is", I reacted while picking it up. To this, that shopkeeper was very surprised. He was amazed, "why do you got a helmet with you? In this area, you won't ever find a traffic police!" And he added, "I hate helmets and never wear it when moving in this locality."

I could immediately relate to this reaction as most people will react similarly in my city on this subject. Of course, there are some who always dutifully wear helmets. But yes, it's "dutifully" and not willingly. Some just try to show off that they are very responsible and law-abiding good citizens. But none wear helmets just because of safety issues.

To that puzzled shopkeeper, I gave my honest reply, "You know, it's too cold outside. How can anyone drive a two wheeler in this weather without a helmet?" He very much agreed to it and said that if it wasn't winters, I'd never wear a helmet.

This brings me to this controversial question - Ain't we forced to wear helmets & seat-belts by our governments?

This gives me a feeling that I don't own my own life. As an adult, shouldn't I be responsible for my own life! Why do government interfere in my personal life by forcing something on me?

This is a classic case of utilitarianism vs. libertarianism. I tend to respect my own liberty and put more weightage on individual rights. Government should do its duty to make its citizens aware of dangers and encourage them to take the available safety measures. But it shouldn't force its decisions.

Aside this, government do allow people to smoke or drink according to their individual preference and think that it has done its duty by putting a statutory warning on packets of cigarettes, tobacco and alcohol. Then why should helmets & seat-belts be mandatory?

It looks like government selectively makes some issues more important than others. Today, it's not possible for me to find a natural sea-salt in the market and I'm compelled to consume "iodized" refined salt by the government. When I was traveling through rural belt, it was almost impossible to get a plain wheat flour in the market. Everything was fortified with several vitamins and minerals. So it is the government that decides what I should eat and what I shouldn't!

Isn't this too much of interference in our personal lives? I won't mind trading off my personal data and compromise my privacy in lieu of liberty of my personal choice in what I do with my life.

I want to own my own life. How about you?