While the recent return of warm weather conjures up images of shorts and sandals for many students, to me the arrival of spring means leather. Lots of leather.

All perverted jokes aside, I must express my gratitude to be living in the fine state of Iowa. You see, this state is one of a handful that does not have a mandatory helmet law on the books.

While that fact may not mean much to the majority of people, it is an important consideration for many motorcyclists who consider such laws intrusive and annoying. As a group, we understand that the second one chooses to ride, they acknowledge that a motorcycle does not offer the protection of a car. We accept that risk and choose to ride despite it.

There is no denying the fact that helmets save lives. Those who would argue otherwise are either uneducated or morons. You don’t need a college degree to realize that having something absorb an impact meant for your head is a good thing. Though there are some accidents where the neck is exposed to extreme snapping movements, and the weight of a helmet can compound the problem, these are extremely rare.

To use that example as a scapegoat is like saying a seatbelt will kill you if your car happens to plunge into a river and you drown.

In both cases the benefits far outweigh any possible risks, and it is in your best interest to wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle. Why then, would people choose not to wear a helmet?

Quite simply, freedom of choice. We make a decision to ride uncomfortable contraptions without air conditioning or cupholders because there is an experience involved. If we wanted to get from A to B in a boring and uneventful manner, we would drive Geos.

Motorcycles are one of the last expressions of individuality and freedom still around, and people ride because of that. There is an image involved, and the appeal of riding with the wind in your hair is hard to refuse. Though you may have bugs in your teeth, that is your choice.

Besides, sometimes it is just not feasible to always wear a helmet, let alone proper safety gear. It is an annoyance to strap on a helmet for a quick errand that takes only a few minutes, and in the summer heat you literally bake while wearing jeans and a jacket.

Though some people may argue that motorcyclists pose an abnormally large burden on our nation’s health care system, the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center conducted a study and found almost identical levels of insurance coverage of medical costs between motorcycle riders and automobile drivers (49.5 percent vs. 50.4 percent). Additionally, motorcycles account for only 3/5 of one percent of all vehicle accidents nationwide.

Besides, if you wanted to really reduce medical costs associated with motorcycle accidents, you would make helmet laws voluntary or ban helmet use altogether. Remember, the dead cost nothing. And not wearing a helmet virtually guarantees the outcome in an accident.

From the data provided, one can see that motorcyclists account for a tiny percentage of accidents and costs. Furthermore, of all multi-vehicle accidents involving motorcyclists, the driver of the car was found to be at fault more than sixty-five percent of the time (American Motorcyclist Association).

I hate to say it, but it seems that the majority of blame should not be laid at the feet of motorcyclists but rather those who drive cars and fiddle with the radio instead of watching the road.

Even if there was a mandatory helmet law, that does not guarantee you will avoid injury. You may escape death, but broken bones and skin grafts for roadrash are pretty painful and expensive. Unless you are wearing a full-face helmet, any encounter with the pavement will definitely wipe the smile right off your face.

For all the data presented and the arguments made, there will still be people who choose to ride without a helmet or proper safety gear. As adults, that is their decision to make and yours to respect.

Aaron Woell is a junior in political science from Bolingbrook, Ill. He advocates that you ride responsibly and always wear proper safety gear.