Must motorcyclists wear a helmet? That's long been a political controversy in Michigan. But the question of helmets is now extending to the slopes, with several lawmakers proposing a mandatory helmet law for skiers and snowboarders. (If you wish to read the bill, it's here.)

Why the interest in a law? A 13-year old girl died from head injuries earlier this season. Authorities say that a helmet would have saved her life. There must be some Newtonian law of political physics: For every tragedy, a new bad law must be put forward.

As someone who enjoys and promotes the alpine sports, I always wear a helmet, and recommend that others do so, too. It has the practical benefit of keeping your head warm. It can help if you are skiing or riding in the trees (where people tend to travel at fairly low speeds), and it can offer protection against concussions from minor falls. Recently, a skiing companion of mine was (probably) saved serious brain injury when the helmet he was wearing took the brunt of a fence pole he ran into.

But as is the case with politics, there's a tendency to over-reach. Let's be clear about what helmets can and can't do. Once you're on a wide-open trail and go 25 to 30 miles an hour--a speed that intermediate skiers and riders can easily reach--a helmet won't do you any good if you veer off-path and smack headfirst into a tree.

Life is full of risks, and the easiest way to eliminate all skiing or snowboarding injuries would be to ban skiing and snowboarding. Since head injuries occur more often in auto accidents than in any other place, we could require every driver to wear a helmet. Should we do that? (Oops! I hope nobody gets the "great" idea to suggest that in legislative chambers.)

The point is not to have no standards. Many ski areas require minors to wear helmets, at least when taking lessons. The ski industry itself has a "Responsibility Code" for alpine enthusiasts, and violators of the code are subject to being expelled from a ski area. When it comes to the law, there should be a strong presumption of personal responsibility for adults, and for parents to make decisions for their minor children.