Helmetless bikers ‘a public health hazard’
Motorcyclists who break the law by refusing to wear crash helmets pose a major health risk to other motorists, according to a Supreme Court decision made public yesterday. Greece’s highest criminal and civil court rejected a bid by a motorbike driver to have a fine, imposed on him in 2001, for not wearing a helmet declared unconstitutional. The biker had argued that by consciously failing to take the precaution he only risked his own life and posed no threat to other citizens. But the Supreme Court ruled that the law on helmets is not only intended for the good of motorcyclists, but also «to protect the life, health and bodily integrity of other citizens using the road network,» according to a report in Ethnos daily, which provided no further explanation. The fine for riding helmetless is 146 euros.
