[Rick Lee]

Man, that sucks. The article doesn't say how/why he veered into the median. Was he forced into it by a lane-changing car? Any alcohol involved?

I have to confess that, since moving to AZ, I ride a lot sans helmet. But I only do it between my house and the two traffic lights about one mile away when going to the gym or grocery store. The speed limit is 30 mph there. If I have to go beyond those two lights, I wear full gear - boots, pants, jacket, gloves, full face helmet, even if only going a mile beyond those intersections. I can't stand reading about bike deaths. It gives me the chills. But I still think I'd rather take my chances than spend my life on the road in a car.