Roller Skating Since Its Booming Term Paper

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Few plausible arguments could be made to counter one in favor of protective gear for roller skaters. Some arguments against wearing such gear include that one that "extreme" sports enthusiasts who don protective gear might end up taking more risks than they would have otherwise. However, no evidence suggests this to be true, and it is more likely that skaters who enjoy taking risks would do so whether or not they wear protective equipment. A second argument against wearing protective gear would be aesthetics. Some skaters might feel embarrassed by appearing so padded; to counter their assertion footage of professional football or hockey players will show that some of the world's most talented and strong athletes have no problem donning protective gear, gear that is considerably bulkier and less attractive than the light gear that skaters would wear. There is nothing "cool" about becoming comatose, and therefore protective gear enhances a roller skater's sport by decreasing his or her risk of being laid up for life. When considered as a whole, arguments against wearing protective gear are rhetorically and scientifically weak.

On the other hand, arguments in favor of roller skaters wearing protective gear are based on sound facts, reason, experience, and common sense. For instance, hospital statistics show that seventy-five percent of roller skaters who had accidents in the street or in a parking lot were not wearing any protective gear. Of the twenty-five percent that were wearing protective equipment and were still severely injured, their accidents might have been even grimmer had they not worn gear at all. A person flying head-first into pavement will get hurt whether or not they wear a helmet: but when all things are equal, a helmet will greatly reduce head injuries. The laws of physics as well as statistics are on the side of wearing protective gear. Moreover, analogies can be made with similar safety issues such as seat belts, professional sports like football or hockey, or even with safe sex. For example, wearing a condom does not guarantee one hundred percent protection against sexually transmitted diseases or pregnancy, but condoms definitely and significantly reduce the risk of both. A roller skater does not need to invest in top-of -- the line gear, but generally cheaper materials do not offer the same level of protection as higher-quality equipment or at least equipment that fits the wearer.

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According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 1995 there were approximately 105,000 in-line skating related injuries requiring hospital emergency room treatment," ("Safety Helmets"). Wearing protective gear does not need to become a law; however, hospitals would do well to encourage roller skaters to wear protective gear. Reducing skating-related accidents will save health care costs as well as reduce the emotional and physical suffering of friends and family of the skater. Roller skating is one of the most popular recreational activities and has reached increasing levels of sophistication: many amateur roller skaters are learning how to coast down stairwell banisters or perform stunts like flips while on skates. These fun activities can be dangerous, which is why many skaters are choosing to wear protective gear. Such gear has been streamlined, designed to be form-fitting, functional, and aesthetically pleasing to encourage roller skaters to wear it rather than to refuse being labeled as "uncool." The severity of skating accidents increased significantly as more people skate in the streets and as people take more risks while on wheels. Roller skating cannot be performed on soft surfaces and therefore skaters are always at risk for injuring themselves by self-induced falls. Add automobiles to the mix and roller skating becomes a dangerous activity. Wearing protective gear is a logical measure to reduce risk of severe injury due to roller skating accidents.

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