LAST weekend, there were at least two fatal motorcycle accidents that occurred on the island, one in Bangrak and the other in Lamai.

In Bangrak a young Thai woman speeding on a rainy night apparently didn’t see another man backing his motorbike on the roadside, hitting his bike. The impact hurled the woman a few meters away and landed on the road, head first. Some onlookers who came to her rescue saw blood oozing from her head. Later it was learned that she died. The other victim was an Australian expat, who was the subject of conversations among co-expats, some of whom knew him personally.

He was said to be driving in Lamai after a few drinks when he met the accident that he luckily survived but left him with a major brain damage.

The two gruesome accidents have one thing in common: both victims were not wearing a helmet.

Their cases are just the latest on a long list of motorcycle accidents on this paradise island.

In fact, one hospital says that 80 percent of their admissions were accidents related to motorbikes.

Indeed, of the countless number of motorcycle riders on the island, only a very small percentage use helmet.

Most do not wear helmets because obviously there is no law on the island requiring them, or if there was one, it is hardly implemented.

They see the helmet as an inconvenience — interfering with their hearing, too heavy and not cool to put on, on a tropical island where most people, especially the tourists, like wearing shorts and casual attire.

There may even be those who feel that wearing a helmet may cause injury as our neck is said to be the weakest link in the human body, and an accident with a helmet on the head increases the possibility of breaking one’s neck.

Sadly, however, figures from hospitals here show otherwise, as most of the motorcycle riders who get into accidents and suffer major head and brain injury are those without helmets.

There is one true story about a man in the US who chose to ride with a helmet or without it depending on the driving condition.

One day this man was on a two-lane road and travelling at about 50 miles per hour when a tractor trailer pulled out from the right side of the street to go the same direction. He tried to maintain his speed and simply planned to pass the truck.

Unfortunately the truck driver did not have enough room for the turn, and stopped dead still, crossing both lanes.

This man was now approaching the truck too fast and too close to stop safely. He tried to step on the brake hard enough but realized that he was facing the side of the trailer head-on.

With quick thinking he laid his Harley on the side and slid under the trailer and on down the road a couple hundred feet. He was flat on his back, feet first, with his arms spread out and his head jutting out on the highway.

After the tense moments passed, he thanked God for saving his life and kissed his destroyed helmet. The leather jacket and gloves had taken the tears in place of him and the man only suffered from some sore muscles and hurt pride. But the story brings up the subject of helmet as a safety device.

Here on Samui, there have been too many people figuring in too many accidents because of their preference not to use a helmet. It seems the dire statistics haven’t done anything to remind many Samuians that they are putting less value on their lives than they should. It seems as if they have to go through a most traumatic experience first before realizing that the “inconvenience” of putting on a helmet is worth the risk of a damaged brain, that is, if the accident is not fatal.