Helmet laws

[GMbusa]

Have a nice funeral. Tool.

 

[T-MOB]

Hey T-MOB, evidently you and your Busa never leave the city limits, eh? I mean, who in their right mind would venture out at hwy speeds without at least a helmet on? Caught me a nice big fat sparrow once, right between the eyes.....if it wasn't for my helmet shield, well, I'd probably not be here typing this! Think about it son!

Actually,if i'm going on a road trip out of town i will wear a helmet.But that's about the only time i wear one.And i do get on the hwy around town without one.

 

[T-MOB]

What you'll find here is a general consesus of where we live and the laws we are required to abide by.  For those members that live in states that require helmets are certaintly going to be pro helmet laws because they know no other way.  For those that live in states the don't require them, the census may definitely lean toward not.

I've stated this everytime this topic has come up, Generally speaking, bikers in Ohio DO NOT wear helmets.  I'll be going to a bike night tonight and I'll bet almost 2/3 are not wearing a lid.  Here's the deal though, we as humans are creatures of habits, and some of them are bad ones, but when you're brought up in a manner/state where helmets are not required, and you've seen since being a little kid no helmets, that becomes your idea, your image of motorcycling.  

I've been riding for 13 years, 4 bikes, 2 accidents, 1 knee injury, NO helmet.  I've become so accustomed to not wearing a helmet that I'm actually uncomfortable on the bike and my surrounding when I have one on.  Every time I climb on a bike I know the risk involved, and choose to make those risks in enjoyment of my hobby.  There's no sure fire way of surviving a bike accident besides staying of the bike to start with.  I understand that it's possible to reduce the possible risk with proper gear, but many a great rider have perished with all the right gear.

So I'm against a helmet law in the same manner that I'm against mandatory seatbelt laws.  I don't argue that seatbelts have saved lives, but they've taken lives too.  I'm just not pro government telling me how I should live my life.

Just my .02

Very well put,i feel the exact same way as you do.I understand the risks but i still CHOOSE to ride the way i do.If it's your time to go,it's your time to go...whether you have full gear on or not!!

 

[TALYN]

Now i know many of you STRONGLY disagree with this and are probably calling me stupid,dumb,idiot...etc,

The Etc... goes on and on..........

 

[Youkai]

My feelings are, Helmet/Jacket/Gloves at minimum should be a law.  But this is my opinion and not a law, unless everyone would vote for me and I became the president

.  Forget the president's helicopter, I am rollin on the busa

.



<!--EDIT|Youkai
Reason for Edit: None given...|1150333858 -->

 

[just some guy]

.  I don't argue that seatbelts have saved lives, but they've taken lives too.  

so has food....so has.....well you get the point....and its a risk vs. reward type scenario.... seatbelts have proven to save lives, and with anything, in certain situations they can be detrimental.... not wearing a helmet doesn't even compare to seatbelts....i can't even think of a situation where a helmet would end you when you have an off....

 

[jessup]

Their sentiments are perhaps best described by the American Motorcyclists Association (AMA): "[Helmet requirements] are a manifestation of the misguided belief that citizens lack the wisdom to make personal safety decisions for themselves and must therefore be subjected to increasingly intrusive laws."

As the AMA puts it, "The most effective way to reduce motorcycle injuries and fatalities is to prevent accidents from occurring. Helmets and helmet laws do not prevent accidents." Since 92 percent of motorcycle accidents involve riders with no formal training, much emphasis is placed on rider education programs.

Maybe we should concentrate on training as an issue instead of legislating what you have to wear...

 

[TheDude27]

How about everyone worries about themselves instead of everone else?

If you have the overwealming need to nose about someone else's business, have some kids.

 

[Over_Easy]

How about everyone worries about themselves instead of everone else?

 If you have the overwealming need to nose about someone else's business, have some kids.

Hey listen up Dude,

Your business becomes my business when my insurance premiums go higher because your dumb walnut head has to get covered from an accident that could have been prevented by wearing gear but refused to wear a helmet so you could feel free.

The AMA is the NRA of motorcycling.  Do you think they would even dare lobby for a national helmet law?  Of course not, they would lose half their members, just as if the NRA lobbied against the right to own a gun.  It's political BS.  The AMA is concerned about their membership income (beaurocratic BS) and keeping the number membership they have a political foothold.

Hey, I'm a big believer in less government is good.  But when some idiot has to be covered by additonal insurance that could have prevented by wearing some gear forcing my rates up that's when I get pissed.

It's for the common good.  Go poarachute out of a plane if you weant to feel some real fredom.  Hell, I did, but I'm still smart enough to wear a helmet on the road.



<!--EDIT|Over_Easy
Reason for Edit: None given...|1150340573 -->

 

[bluebusa05]

gotta love ri, theres no helmet law but there is a setbelt law, go figure

 

[race24x]

Alot of good points in here but so far the only ones I can see for Helmet laws are increased insurance premiums for vehicle and health. If you dont have a law there is nothing preventing you from wearing a helmet if you choose. You guys seem to think because we are against the law we are against wearing a helmet. I think safety courses should be considered. I dont know how it is in your state but in Maine you take a classroom course get your permit and go out riding to learn how. Then take riding test a year later. What I would like to again point out is the fact that there are hundreds of preventible things that kill thousands of people everyday. You cant make laws so people wont eat to much or smoke. Hell limit all cars and bikes to 65 MPH and call it done. People over 50 start to lose some of there reaction time hearing and seeing pull all there licenses. Dont let people under 28 drive they are to dangerous too. Dont let kids in school drive the last month of school because every damn year they drink and drive and get killed just before graduation. Geeez lets vote for me for pres and I will make sure and get rid of every damn thing that can possibly kill you including because of Aids and Hep..... Sex oh my way to dangerous. OK I am getting myself back under control. But this country is going down the shitter because people have nothing better to do than #### on other peoples freedom of choice. Who else is getting hurt by a cyclist not wearing a helmet. I am sure we can come up with some weird a bird hit this guy once or a bug flwe in his eye and he went off the road and killed a bus load of kids but really who else gets hurt by this (physically)

 

[FloydV]

Against helmet law.

BUT

I am in favor of decreased insurance premiums for those who ride with helmets + gear.

I am for denial of insurance coverage for accidents where the rider was without a helmet and gear.

I am for denial of government financial support for accidents where rider was without helmet and gear.

+1

If you dont want to wear gear fine by me but deal with the consequences of your actions.

Helmet and seatbelt laws are way over the line. When I need additonal parenting done by the government I'll let you know. (and I'm thinking if I do need government parenting I'd elect ppl that don't have such f*cked up kids/families)

Agree with the laws being out of line. Pretty soon, you'll have to wear all your gear in your car with your seat belt. And then all the passengers. You could use the same logic to create the law. Save lives and tax payer money.

I always wear a helmet--I'm kind of partial to my head. At the speeds I like to ride, my eyes tear up so bad I can't see where I'm going without one. Even with those cooool looking American Chopper shades.

 

[moondog]

Rant on. I won't even ride with someone not wearing their gear. In my 50 years of riding, I have learned this: no gear speaks VOLUMES about the rider, not only one's ego, but also what kind of rider their going to be....be careful? You must be joking...once again: It ain't about YOU.....it's about the 16 year old girl on her cell while putting on her make-up all while driving with her knees.... bearing down on you from the rear at warp speed. The one you can't see because you've taken off your mirrors cause they ain't "cool". YOUR foolishment makes MY insurance rates and health costs go up........ I am NOT picking up the pieces of your broken life after ya go down.....both physically and mentally. Contribute to a fund for some poor non-gear wearing soul who crashed while doing a stand-up down main street? Probably not....People: dress for the crash. Not once, but every stinkin' time you ride. I learned long ago...there are old bikers, there are bold bikers, but there are very few old, bold bikers. Rant off.

 

[BigDiesel]

"The most effective way to reduce motorcycle injuries and fatalities is to prevent accidents from occurring. Helmets and helmet laws do not prevent accidents."

Maybe we should concentrate on training as an issue instead of legislating what you have to wear...

+10000!

I live in Milwaukee WI....H-D central headquarters; so 'round here, those WITH helmets are the minority. I USED to ride 50/50 with or without lid-n I had a bad spill last year while not wearing any...well, I'm still here and I learned that I need to respect the power of my bike better, and the limits of adhesion.

I don't want anybody telling me I HAVE to do anything-heck, if they did, it'd just be one more ticket I have to pay when a cop catches me w/o the lid-cuz I only run when i'm wearing full gear

 

[Justyntym]

Ask Ben Rothensburger if he is more freakin' "Comfortable".

And it is not about just you and your choice. Yeah Ben's enough money to pay for his own problem, had he not had the money, and an average joe...it would have come out of my $100 a week 'fn health insurance premiums and they probably would have gone up again, like they do every year.

Wear your gear or don't ride.

On the other hand, the gene pool could use a little chlorine. Darwin's law does work sometimes. It your to stupid to at least wear a helmet...



Comfortable

 

[Over_Easy]

But this country is going down the shitter because people have nothing better to do than #### on other peoples freedom of choice. Who else is getting hurt by a cyclist not wearing a helmet...but really who else gets hurt by this (physically)?

You were doing alright until you finished up with your last paragraph.  Don't get me wrong.  As I stated before I'm a big believer in less government, but I don't believe enforcing what should be a COMMON SENSE helmet law is "####ing on someone's freedom of choice." It's a measure taken to protect people from themselves and for the betterment of society as a whole.

As far as who else gets hurt physically by a cyclist other then the cyclist himself is just a stupid question.  No one is saying the cager driving the car will die because the cyclist did not have a helmet.  

But, what about the rider's family (spouse, kids, parents, siblings, etc.)?  Unfortunately, there are riders who are parents out there selfishly riding by being more concerned with feeling more free without a helmet than taking a few safety measures which could keep them in their kids' and familiy's lives if even a minor accident occurs.  Hitting your head on the pavement at 20 MPH could easily put someone in a coma or cause bwain dwamage.

To say wearing a helmet is the right thing to do but just don't have the gov't. enforcing a law saying so and expecting everyone out there to do the smart thing is stating that there are no stupid people out there lacking common sense.  And we all know that's not the case.



<!--EDIT|Over_Easy
Reason for Edit: None given...|1150382296 -->

 

[Fugly]

I don't think there should be a helmet law or seatbelt law for that matter. How else can we prove Darwin right?

I like to learn from others mistakes (evolution). I learn from my own as well, but I want to be alive to say I have learned.



<!--EDIT|Fugly
Reason for Edit: None given...|1150382537 -->

 

[race24x]

but I don't believe enforcing what should be a COMMON SENSE helmet law is "####ing on someone's freedom of choice."  It's a measure taken to protect people from themselves and for the betterment of society as a whole.

I know some will never agree and I am not saying again dont wear a helmet I think you should but I will never believe in making someone else do it. Imagine again how fewer accidents there would be with speed restrictions on all Vehicles for 65 MPH (the maximum speed allowed in my state) Tada protecting you from yourself common sense isnt it your not leagally allowed to go over that speed so why do you need to?

??? The government picks on the minorities because they have more trouble defending themselves and bikers in particular because you can scare the crap out of the average family with a few brain splatter pics. Imagine if they tried to completely ban smoking holy crap self destruction at its best. Its like playing Russian roulette with 4 bullets in the gun. Or obesity both kill more people everyday than bikes do but no laws on that. Seems very discriminitory to me. You cant deny someones 200 LB kid some McDonalds so they get so fat they cant work for the rest of there life and get diseases like Diabetes etc. but man we need to make a law against riding without a helmet. I work for Social Security Administration you want to talk about cost to others?

? People who have done things for years Smoking drinking drug abuse and they get free money, your retirement money to stay home. They did it to themsleves and we pay them not to work. Dont get me wrong there are people that need it but I have seen enough to make me believe there wont be anything left for people that paid in. Yet no laws about that. If you want to worry about common sense laws start with the top 10 biggest preventable deaths in the US when you get those laws passed come talk to me about supporting a helmet law, I might even support it by then.



<!--EDIT|race24x
Reason for Edit: "My typing sucks LOL"|1150384018 -->

 

[GMbusa]

I'll say it again. Have a nice funeral. Tool.

I'll be the guy when they're laying you into the ground playing "Another one bites the dust" on a boom box. That's harsh but you get the point.

Wether you think comfortable or not, when you get hurt, we all get to pay for you. I think that's F$#KED up. Friend or not, i'll call anyone an idiot for not wearing atleast a helmet.

 

[heavybusa]

I feel that helmets and seat belts should be a CHOICE!

I am very pro-helment, but I think that as adults we should not be penalized if our descision cannot harm others.

South Carolina has the best laws, under 21 manditory helment. And if you are an adult you can choose your fate.

My .02.