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Why I Think Helmet Laws Are Stupid

Zenica said:
I understand what are you saying but your question is of personal nature but laws are not. Im just saying if laws are there for protection of people than it should be same for everyone. Dont get me wrong I am for helmet laws just if people can smoke them selfs to death why wouldnt be option for helmets and seatbelts. No one thinks they will crash and die same with guns no one thinks that gun will fire in their best friend but shit happens, or that someone will get cancer from smoking. We all think thats not gonna happen to us.
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Don't think its going to happen to us? :nchantr This must be a really young person's mindset... When I head onto the freeway, I always merge assuming that the whole shitstorm is going to be aimed directly at me! So I ride accordingly, I observe accordingly, and I dress accordingly... and like sex, its still possible to have tons of fun and still be very safe...

Does MotoGP style protective gear make me immune? Of course not (maybe if they had the inflatable protection back then) but it will always lessen the overall impact, should something happen...

My full body protective gear (including a Astar race back protector) and full face helmet didn't save me from a broken back and fractured neck (or maybe it did?) But it definitely saved me from the road rash of sliding 100 yards on the freeway, that's got to be worth something...

I still remember the trauma doctors saying "Wow, this is really nice protective gear!" as they were cutting and slicing it off me :laughing
 
Come on everyone has to admit riding without a helmet is nice, I do it sometimes.
 
Ironbutt said:
Come on everyone has to admit riding without a helmet is nice, I do it sometimes.
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I actually get my "riding without a helmet" fix when I ride my KDX around Carnegie SVRA for a short distance :) Or riding up and down my court on the Ninja :) I have too little faith in drivers to do much more than that... :nchantr
 
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Why would you NOT wear a full-face helmet after seeing that? You won't have a chin anymore otherwise.
 
Not donating my organs. Symptomatic of the health care crisis, the costs are immense. You could provide basic healthcare for a hundreds of kids for a year at the cost of one transplant.
 
A moto cop wearing a half helmet, short sleeve shirt, and polyester pants can give me a ticket for not wearing a seat belt, even if I am wearing a full face helmet and leathers while driving.

That is the irony of stupid laws. Helmet laws prevent the gene pool from evolving.
 
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Feanor said:
I actually get my "riding without a helmet" fix when I ride my KDX around Carnegie SVRA for a short distance :) Or riding up and down my court on the Ninja :) I have too little faith in drivers to do much more than that... :nchantr
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When I get over the AZ border the helmet comes off for a few miles.. Why the hell not, eh? Live a little. You won't see me at an anti helmet rally though.

I like to fire up the bike and roll for a cup of Joe and smell the morning air; not the gym-locker smell inside of my helmet. :laughing

Plus, no helmet = no helmet itch. EH? Am I thinking or WHUT?
 
Wow, talk about oposite

eddiet204 said:
In my 20 years of investigating traffic collisions, I have never investigated a motorcycle accident where the rider/passenger died of road rash, broken/loss of limb, or even a missing face.
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Wow, talk about opposite experience. In my almost 30 years as a deputy/coroner I never had a M/C fatality in which a helmet would have saved them. Every fatal I worked the rider died as a direct result of blunt force trauma (being hit by vehicles). As a deputy/coroner I only worked fatals so I can't speak to other TC's.
 
cprbusa said:
Wow, talk about opposite experience. In my almost 30 years as a deputy/coroner I never had a M/C fatality in which a helmet would have saved them. Every fatal I worked the rider died as a direct result of blunt force trauma (being hit by vehicles). As a deputy/coroner I only worked fatals so I can't speak to other TC's.
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:wtf

From http://www.cdc.gov/Features/MotorcycleSafety/:

Helmets are estimated to prevent 37 percent of crash deaths among motorcycle riders and 41 percent of crash deaths for motorcycle passengers.
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Was this in California where almost all would have been wearing helmets anyway?
 
Ironbutt said:
When I get over the AZ border the helmet comes off for a few miles.. Why the hell not, eh? Live a little. You won't see me at an anti helmet rally though.

I like to fire up the bike and roll for a cup of Joe and smell the morning air; not the gym-locker smell inside of my helmet. :laughing

Plus, no helmet = no helmet itch. EH? Am I thinking or WHUT?
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I'd be lying if I said that it didn't feel more exhilirating and more free riding without a helmet :) and I don't think I could ever call anyone stupid for not wearing one since being on the bike at all could well be argued as FAR over the line of reasonable behavior anyway :)

In the end I don't begrudge anyone's choices in riding gear or riding (even Harley's) and I tend not to think "stupidity" if I see far less than full gear, but more something along the lines of "Fate, please watch over that rider"

I know for many that "exhilirating" feeling of riding without a helmet can be overpoweringly strong, and cause them to rail against regulation and safety statistics and even logic itself, citing all manner of justifications reaching for reason when really its just that overpowering desire and emotional draw to feel that exhiliration despite the danger.

I was almost killed in my accident in 08, and the recovery was very hard and the most excrutiating pain I've ever felt in my whole life, for weeks on end in the hospital... within 2 months of getting home I bought another bike and within 4 I was riding again. EVERYONE said I was "stupid" and in a very real way they were right, but for me, that also didn't matter. I see the contention with helmet wearing and laws this way. I can't call someone stupid for wanting to ride without one, because in essence, I'm stupid for even riding period :)

The funny thing about this thread is it cites mass statistics, when in essence wearing full protective gear is as much an emtional choice as not... it just happens that full gear carries huge safety advantages as a fringe benefit. I wear full gear because I feel better wearing it. I'd be hypocritical to call someone stupid for wearing the opposite, but for the same emotional reasons as me. I wear full gear for emotional reasons more than statistical one's and in that way, I'm more lucky, than "smart"

But just maybe God didn't give me a second chance to live, but a second chance to keep riding :) I guess that's possible too :)
 
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Riding without a Helmet is like Bare Back sex with a stranger. It's fun and can be described as exhilirating but with it comes some serous risks that most sane people don't want to even think about.
 
Helmet Laws aren't stupid. People are.

Sorry but not everyone rides a 100hp sports bike. Most countries require you take a driving/riding course for your license. Education is the key, thisone encourages it. What you do after, that's on you.

I totally agree that a beenie is crap compared to a full-face, but it does protect. I mt bike, and downhill hardcore. I choose my gear adequately, but government can't tell me what i should wear.

Some people ride 6hp 50cc scooters that are not intended to catch air on hillsides. A beenie DOT helmet is minimum to "reduce" the risk of serious injury/trauma. Gov can't (not even a shouldn't - CAN'T) require full gear. Responsibility is on your hands, it is your life, your survival, your a$$.

Hell, it actually bothers me quite a bit to see the "Squids" thread and some ridiculous forumners who are self proclaimed righteous know it alls laughing at people on full protective gear, but on jeans saying "omg what a dumb*** ". Let me tell you ALL, its as dangerous or more to ride a downhill bike, on which you are not required to wear any protective gear, but your helmet, and a crappy one at that.

The rest is common sense. If you go surfing and get cut by your fins then that's on you. (i had 7 stitches on my head once from this). If you want to go kiteboarding and get slammed on the rocks then that's on you (hasn't happened, but does all the time). If you go skateboarding and scrape your kness then that's on you (there, done that). The point is, gov't can not regulate every aspect of our lives. If they do i'll leave the damn country to go somewhere i can ride butt naked. This mentality is baby-proofing everything is WRONG and then you dare say "land of the free". losuperl. Land of the "they have regulate how i have to take a leak: wear plastic gloves... and a mask.. and a radioactive proof suit too".

NO.
Thank you for listening.


*i do drive a 100hp sports bike and wear all my protective gear and my passenger i require she do the same, but that's MY CHOICE and that's my point.*
 
Bravnik said:
Riding without a Helmet is like Bare Back sex with a stranger. .
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oh it's fun, but not THAT fun :laughing

seriously tho, i grew up near NH and me and us massholes would usually take off the helmets and do some lazy rural riding most times when crossing the border and i'm wicked friggin smahht, which is to say that me dying from not wearing a helmet would be anything but bolstering the jeans pool :laughing

it sounds retarded, but part of my thought process on the deal is that in the past my riding style sans lid has been extremely careful and laid back and in the 'right' situations and i do think that some of the racer nuts that treat public roads like tracks while geared up to survive friggin re-entry from orbit are more dangerous to others than to themselves and that angle sucks too..

i just believe it should be choice, and i've always known (derp) that if you go down without one, you're likely screwed. freedom, man. freedom.

fuckin' a.
 
I used to wear a half shell for short errands. I might get stupid and run onto the highway for a few miles and it really sucked.

My half shell lifts up when I was going faster than 50. And my eyes would water under my sunglasses.

I ended up getting a cheap modular. I can go into stores without feeling like a bank robber and I can even ride with the face shield up. And when it counts, I might keep my fade intact.
 
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