Friday, April 25, 1998, started out as one of those rare Iowa days, when the weather puts a smile on your face instead of a frown. Trees and flowers were blooming and the birds were chirping their melodic tunes.

For a certain group of people, however, that day would forever change their lives.

Tim Widmer, an ISU student from Iowa City, died when his motorcycle struck a car backing out on Lynn Avenue. Widmer’s death brought the chilling reality of death home to his friends, family and those who witnessed this horrific accident.

Our sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of Tim Widmer.

But the real tragedy is that this accident didn’t have to happen. A few simple measures could have averted this sadness and avoided changing some people’s lives for the worse.

Widmer wasn’t wearing a helmet while on his motorcycle. Studies have shown that wearing a helmet can dramatically decrease your chances of death and serious injury. A helmet may not have saved Widmer’s life, but his chances for living would have been a lot better.

Sadly, Tim Widmer wasn’t even required to wear a helmet, since Iowa is one of only three states that doesn’t require them. States that recently wrote helmet laws saw a substantial decrease in fatalities and head injuries.

California reinstated its helmet law in 1992 and saw a 38 percent decrease in motorcycle fatalities, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Adding a helmet law to Iowa’s books would prevent many other tragedies like the one on Friday.

Laws aren’t the only thing that prevent motorcycle deaths and injuries. Responsible riding goes a long way in preventing fatalities and serious injuries.

Many of these riders don’t realize the power of their machines. The super bikes that are popular with so many young men like Widmer are extremely light and extremely fast.

They can turn their riders into 150-mph-plus missiles that don’t have nearly the same stopping power as a car. These newer bikes are also very small, making it very difficult for automobile drivers to see them.

Please, utilize the utmost care when driving motorcycles. When driving a car, be on the lookout for the smaller vehicles.

Don’t let the events of Friday, April 25, 1998, happen again on our campus.