I think it's common sense in the first place.

"Dan G" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Feb 15, 12:22 pm, "Bert Willing" willing_no_spam_ple...@ir-
microsystems.com wrote:
Having fun by risking one own's life is a personal choice.
Having fun by risking other peoples' life is criminal.

This is the view the lawmakers and courts take - something often
grossly misunderstood. AFAIK no activity which risks *only yourself*
has ever been banned. You can legally go cave diving, BASE jumping
etc. to your hearts content, despite them being probably the most
dangerous sports around. (Thirteen people died BASE jumping last year
and someone died doing it only last Saturday, the third death this
year.)

What the law does mandate is that if you're organising anything that
other people will take part in, every effort to minimise risk to the
participants and others is taken (e.g. hard hats and spinal protectors
for horse riding, helmets for BASE jumpers, F1 cars now have their
wheels tethered to the chassis so they can't fly off into the stands
etc. etc.).

For example in Britain there's a diving center where at least one
person has died every year since 1978. The center is still open as
they simply do everything they can to make it safe (apart from one
death where they broke the governing association's rules and were
fined £50,000). It's just a rather risky pastime. (They are in fact
building a medical center on site now).

As another example, every year in Idaho there's a BASE jumping
convention at Perrine Bridge. Four people have died there but the
event will not stop.

The law will never stop you doing any sport dangerous to *yourself* -
that's your choice, and the law respects that. What it will cane your
for is killing someone else who should have been safe while you do it
(as happened at Hus Bos), and if you're responsible for the safety of
others and you slip up.


Dan