PA. HELMET LAWS Bikers revel in freedom to choose

Some bikers are worried that insurance costs will increase.
By IAN HILL
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
SHARON, Pa. -- Motorcycle enthusiast Jim Ryhal feels like he's got a little more freedom today.
He's no longer required to wear a helmet when he takes to the road in his home state.
"I can choose to drink. I can choose to smoke. I can choose to die," said Ryhal, of Greenville.
Pennsylvania's motorcycle helmet laws changed as of 12:01 a.m. today, making helmets optional for bikers like Ryhal.
"It's about time," he said.
Marking change
Ryhal, who said he's been riding for about 30 years, was among the bikers who gathered at Quaker Steak & amp; Lube on Wednesday night to mark the changes in the laws at "Freedom to Choose Bike Nite." Three motorcycle helmets were crushed by a steamroller as part of the event.
Many of the bikers at the event said they were pleased that they now had the choice not to wear a helmet.
"It's your head. I think it ought to be your choice," said Fred Guthrie of Beloit, Ohio. Ed Radachy of Sharon added, "It's a given right, just like in the Constitution."
Joe Kristyak of Sharon noted that bikers get more satisfaction from riding without a helmet.
"You just feel good. You've got fresh air. You don't have that big thing on your head," he said.
There are still some restrictions when it comes to motorcycle helmets in Pennsylvania. To ride without a helmet, bikers must be 21 and have successfully completed a state-approved motorcycle safety course or have had a motorcycle license for at least two years.
Choosing helmets
Not all bikers say they'll be riding without a helmet. George Kovach of Boardman and Larry Skiver of Warren said they'll still wear helmets when they ride in Pennsylvania.
Both have sport motorcycles; Kovach said his motorcycle can go as fast as 200 miles per hour. He compared riding his motorcycle to riding a Cedar Point roller coaster every day.
Yet Kovach and Skiver also stressed that they're glad they have the choice.
"It shouldn't be a law, just another thing to be regulated, for them to pull you over for," he said.
Other bikers, however, aren't as happy with the changes. Jenna Bletso of Canfield and Rich Evans of North Lima both said they're worried the cost of insurance will increase because bikers who don't wear helmets will be making more trips to the hospital.
"These guys get hurt, and you and I end up paying," Evans said. Bletso added that a helmet was "your only protection on a bike."
But many bikers said they believed the cost of insurance was going to increase anyway.
"Insurance is outrageous to begin with," said John Bower of Beloit.
hill@vindy.com