It is all fun and games until someone gets hurt. That’s the saying, right? It is a philosophy that motivates many people to take on as many safety precautions that they can in order to avoid accidents. Unfortunately, accidents will happen, usually because another person failed to act responsibly.
That is particularly true in regards to motorcycle accidents. Motorcyclists will get injured or killed while riding, not because they did anything wrong, but because other drivers fail to see them. Maybe this is the idea that popular music star Pink wishes that people would focus on after a recent social media stir she created.
Last week, Pink’s husband Carey Hart posted a picture of him and his daughter on his motorcycle. The child is 2 years old; her father is a professional motocross racer. The picture didn’t get only the likes and positive comments that people tend to expect when they post pictures of their kiddos. Instead, the photo inspired some critics to post their opinions about the safety of Pink’s baby.
Some challenged the celebrity parents’ decision to allow their 2-year-old on a motorcycle, even though it was being driven very slowly and by the child’s professional driver of a father. Others thought that the baby should have been wearing a helmet. As many parents would, Pink responded by defending her and her husband’s judgment.
Should the baby have been on the bike? That isn’t for us to judge.
Motorcycle laws, including helmet laws, vary from state to state. In Pennsylvania, anyone under the age of 21 is required to wear a helmet while riding. Other more experienced riders have the right to decide if they want to wear a helmet. Whether someone was wearing a helmet at the time of a motorcycle accident should never take away from a careless driver’s role in an accident. Failing to yield or making an illegal turn into the path of a cyclist is reckless. The presence of a helmet doesn’t change that.
Source: ABC News, “Pink Takes on Twitter Critics Over Motorcycle-Riding Daughter,” Suzan Clark, Oct 30, 2013