Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is one cool guy! He does martial arts. He fishes. He hunts. He¡¯s bilingual. He scuba dives. He¡¯s charismatic. He¡¯s smart. He looks good topless. And, in the Aug. 31 AFP-Jiji photo titled ¡°LEADER OF THE PACK,¡± he is shown riding a hog ¡ª in leather, no less.
Immediately, when I saw the image of him leading a pack of bikers through the Russian town of Novorossiysk as part of an annual festival there, I was struck by the complete absence of motorcycle safety helmets. It was a missed opportunity to greatly contribute to road safety not only in Russia, but elsewhere.
No doubt, Russian law does not mandate helmet use. I also have no doubt that injuries and deaths resulting from its absence is a considerable problem in Russia.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer¡¯s own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.
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