saved my brains from splatting on the road ....twice!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Dusty78:
In PA the healthcare system AKA people who have healthcare insurance absorbed $45 million (per 100k motorcycles registered in the state) for helmetless related crashes.

They also absorbed untold millions of dollars for people who sit on their couch and eat Bonbons all day, and for those who refuse to quit smoking. Neither of those should be illegal either.

As you know, it's the nature of insurance. Those who don't have any issues pay for those who do.

For all you no helmet fans, I have a test for you. I am going to put your family in front of you on a test track and helmetless you ride or drive at 60 mph at them. We are then going to throw a piece of broken leaf spring, piece of brick or other object at your head. If after you are hit you can control your large heavy fast moving bike and not hit them, you will convince me of your personal freedom.

Seat belts also serve the purpose of keeping your ass behind the steering wheel if you have to serve to miss something. So you can maintain control.

I am a personal choice proponent but when your choice can have deadly consequences on someone else, I think differently.

I have two friends who lost control of their bikes after being hit by debris. One bike hit two cars traveling in opposite lanes.

In 3 million plus miles of driving in Europe and the US. I have seen more than one of these type accidents that could have been prevented. I saw a shirtless guy get hit by cicadas and lose control of his HD. Last summer.

I wear a helmet nearly religiously.

But I don't think it should be a law.
On the other hand, I don't expect anyone else to pay my medical bills, nor do I want to pay them for anyone else. Life is inherently dangerous, no matter what you do. everyone eventually dies of something.

I am an ATGATT person. I think it should be required to wear one as long as I the taxpayer or private individual have to help foot the bill for those who don't......and end up in comas their families can't afford.

quote:

Originally posted by fischtown7:
For all you no helmet fans, I have a test for you. ... I saw a shirtless guy get hit by cicadas and lose control of his HD. Last summer.

That is a powerful argument; but I have actually never heard of that happening, nor has anything similar happened to me. Are there really credible statistics on "the probability of losing control of a motorcycle due to road debris and subsequently causing injury to someone else" ? I would really like to know.

If I didn't have a helmet, I'd be pissing in a bag.

Any my insurance premiums would be spread amongst the cost of my policy holders.

quote:

Originally posted by Crom:

quote:

Originally posted by fischtown7:
For all you no helmet fans, I have a test for you. ... I saw a shirtless guy get hit by cicadas and lose control of his HD. Last summer.

That is a powerful argument; but I have actually never heard of that happening, nor has anything similar happened to me. Are there really credible statistics on "the probability of losing control of a motorcycle due to road debris and subsequently causing injury to someone else" ? I would really like to know.

I have seen 2 bird strikes and the cicada incident personally. Pulled two of my fellow truckers out of vehicles they lost control of due to no seatbelt. Got thrown out of their seats.

When I got my driver trainer certification in Europe they could not believe the no helmet laws we have, first thing they said was how it could lead to loss of control. And they do not have half the trash we do on the road. I have lost 6 windshield in 10 years. One time a bolt half as big as my fist went thru my passenger windshield. We had a trainee in Florida get hit by a shovel that went thru the windshield.

Until I get a say in whether or not Joe Public shoves Twinkies down his gullet 24/7, or Jane Doe plops out another baby every few years, you meddlesome-busybody fuckers need to shut your traps when it comes to the actions of others affecting everyone else. Being affected by the choices of others is as much a part of a free society as is freedom itself.

Deal with it, and mind your own damn business.

quote:

Originally posted by 46and2:
Until I get a say in whether or not Joe Public shoves Twinkies down his gullet 24/7, or Jane Doe plops out another baby every few years, you meddlesome-busybody fuckers need to shut your traps when it comes to the actions of others affecting everyone else. Being affected by the choices of others is as much a part of a free society as is freedom itself.

Deal with it, and mind your own damn business.

I don't need to do anything but stay handsome and die peacefully of old age

quote:

Originally posted by Cobra21:
Well, I am a motorcycle rider and I generally DO NOT wear a helmet on public roads. I do have a helmet and I do have it on the bike, but probably only wear it 25%-33% of the time...though I always make my passenger wear one if they are riding with me.

Wow, looks like my sons bike

I wear a helmet almost always.

I do not think it should be required.

I do think a rider course should be required however.

quote:

Originally posted by 46and2:
Until I get a say in whether or not Joe Public shoves Twinkies down his gullet 24/7, or Jane Doe plops out another baby every few years, you meddlesome-busybody fuckers need to shut your traps when it comes to the actions of others affecting everyone else. Being affected by the choices of others is as much a part of a free society as is freedom itself.

Deal with it, and mind your own damn business.

Well put.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
1. Yes, because they do reduce the incidence of head injuries. And, I'd prefer to leave a good looking corpse.

2. No. Same reason I don't believe that seatbelt use should be mandated. The government has no place in telling me how to take care of myself. They can make suggestions, but ultimately the decision should be my own.

YakTrax reduce the number of falls on ice and hence the cost of medical treatment for fractures and head injuries. Should we pass a law requiring people to wear them?

^^^^^Gustofer nailed it.

I addition to a helmet, I almost always wear leathers. I like my skin.

Edit to add this:

I seriously doubt that wearing a helmet is going to make any difference to the outcome of a 70+ mph motorcycle accident, so wearing a helmet for injury prevention reasons only makes sense for low-speeds.

But prevention of impact head injuries isn't the only reason to wear a helmet. I have some hearing loss. Riding in the 70+ mph wind for an extended period is BAD for your ears, can do real damage. Wearing a helmet helps me preserve what hearing I have left.

Also, it makes life far less painful if you run into an unexpected rain storm, or a cloud of grasshoppers.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: SapperSteel,

quote:

Originally posted by chansen92:

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
1. Yes, because they do reduce the incidence of head injuries. And, I'd prefer to leave a good looking corpse.

2. No. Same reason I don't believe that seatbelt use should be mandated. The government has no place in telling me how to take care of myself. They can make suggestions, but ultimately the decision should be my own.

YakTrax reduce the number of falls on ice and hence the cost of medical treatment for fractures and head injuries. Should we pass a law requiring people to wear them?

It seems as though many people still forget that it is a privilege to drive a motorized vehicale on a public street or highway and as such the state has the right to tell you to wear a helmet or seat belt. Why should the rest of us have to pay such high insurance rates because bikers do not want to wear helmets?? As soon as the state of Mi. passed the no helmet needed rule my insurance did go up and I do not ride a bike. Tell me why I have to pay higher rates.

For the same reason we have to pay higher health insurance rates for those who refuse to stay in shape and Choose to be over weight & out of shape and still smoke .
Funny how we don't want the nanny state to put restrictions on magazine capacity (etc) but some want the Gov't to interject itself into this subject.
If a helmet law is passed, I'll wear that smallest one that complies, like I do when I ride thru states that have helmet laws.
Otherwise I absolutely love the sensation of the sun on my skin and the wind thru my hair.

And yes, my will is in order, my living will is set as well as my DNR.

quote:

Originally posted by chansen92:
. . .It seems as though many people still forget that it is a privilege to drive a motorized vehicale on a public street or highway and as such the state has the right to tell you to wear a helmet or seat belt. . .

Oh my God!

Do you actually believe that bullshit?

No helmet law in my state. Sometimes I wear a helmet, other times not, most of the time I do. It also depends on what I am doing, where I am going and what bike I am on. I have an old shovelhead, kid has a 750 Honda VFR, and there is an XR 200and a TW 200 and numerous four wheelers and a few three wheelers hanging around. I also sometimes ride in boots, sometimes running shoes, never flip flops.

I voted yes to wearing a helmet even when not required to by law and no for it being required by law. What drove my answers? I just feel more at ease with a helmet, and ... freedom, plain and simple. This differs from the seat belt in that it can be argued that maintaining the drivers position behind the wheel and keeping everyone in the vehicle from becoming a missile is a safety measure for others besides the individuals. Wearing a helmet or not wearing a helmet will not effect others in the vicinity... family and friends? Well, that's a whole other matter.

I wear a helmet though not required in Michigan. A lot of variables and dynamics in a motorcycle collision all factor in, so in my opinion wearing, the jury is still out on effectiveness.

Seat belt usage, different issue here. Deployment of air bags. Driver and passenger usage, the position of the body in relation to design of the "cushion area" when inflated is critical. If the body and head are in the wrong position during deployment the bag can actually cause more injury or death due to fractures of the neck and forcing the head into the windshield or the roof of the car.

When my daughters were teens I would lecture them about riding in cars with the then popular thing of putting their feet on the dash or out the window. Explaining how and what would happen did not make me popular but I was not out to win any popularity contests anyways.

quote:

Originally posted by 95flhr:
I always wear a helmet, I just feel better doing so.

I've seen where a neck was snapped and the person died due to the extra weight of a helmet, so I think it should be a personal choice.

This is a MYTH. The human neck is strong enough to support the added weight of a helmet except in the most extreme circumstances. In addition a modern helmet todays only weighs around 2-3 lbs while an adult human head weighs in between 10 and 11 lbs. BTW, in the case of Dale Earnhart that was an extreme circumstance and it's quite likely the weight of his head alone could have caused that same injury.

What is NOT a myth is that the rate of head injuries causing death or severe permanent brain injuries among motorcycle riders has skyrocketed since the helmet laws were revoked. I also expect that in about 200 injuries resulting from not wearing a helmet there is just one single injury caused by a helmet. Take a look at the Hurt Study that brought about the original implementation of the helmet laws in the 70's, injuries caused by helmets when that study took place were only seen in one or two accidents but injuries caused by the lack of a helmet were very numerous, severe, and well documented.

Obviously I am one who believes that helmets should be mandated. Because it will be a cold day in hell before the liberals will ever allow some fool who did some severe damage to his brain by not wearing a helmet to be withheld whatever treatment he needs on the public dime.

PS: I was so well conditioned by my older brother and father in wearing a helmet I cannot even roll my motorcycle out of the garage to wash it without putting on my skid lid.