Thread: Mandatory Helmet Laws

who am i to say you can't smash your head open on the street..

Originally Posted by The Situation

who am i to say you can't smash your head open on the street..

so true only takes a squirl to wipe your brains all over the street.. even the occ idiots wear helmets...

it will free up some of that goverment(free) health care for everyone

To require helmet use is not something I believe in. I wear a helmet when I ride because I feel it is the smart thing to do.

Think about it. Motorcycle racers wear helmets everytime they go out. Sometimes the crash at speeds well over 100mph and occasionally closer to 200mph. Unless it's a highside they are probably going to get up and walk away from it.

Regarding a fullface versus an open or 1/2 helmet look at it like this: If you have an unintended dismount from your motorcycle you have a 1 in 4 chance of doing a face plant. Which means should you go face first into the road you are going to need reconstructive surgery to fix your mug.

Wear them if you want, don't if you don't.

You forgot the option for:
"No, people should mind their own fucking business."
I have yet to see anything that says I helmet is worth the trouble. I rode motorcycles for most of my life, and I refused to wear a gay ass fucking helmet. The only exception is street bikes, and that is only because you can't see into the wind without protection, and a motor cycle helmet look cooler than a pair of goggles.

If you aren't going to make people wear full out Kevlar body armor, then shut the fuck up. If you aren't going to make fat fucks diet, shut the fuck up. If you aren't going to ban alcohol, shut the fuck up. If you aren't going to outlaw tobacco, shut the fuck up!

There are a million ways to die, and there are million times more dangerous shit being done everyday. Picking on bikers is fucking absurd.

Originally Posted by KelJu

You forgot the option for:
"No, people should mind their own fucking business."
I have yet to see anything that says I helmet is worth the trouble. I rode motorcycles for most of my life, and I refused to wear a gay ass fucking helmet. The only exception is street bikes, and that is only because you can't see into the wind without protection, and a motor cycle helmet look cooler than a pair of goggles.

If you aren't going to make people wear full out Kevlar body armor, then shut the fuck up. If you aren't going to make fat fucks diet, shut the fuck up. If you aren't going to ban alcohol, shut the fuck up. If you aren't going to outlaw tobacco, shut the fuck up!

There are a million ways to die, and there are million times more dangerous shit being done everyday. Picking on bikers is fucking absurd.

i love kelju's thoughts...

I've seen evidence that wearing a helmet does help in the case of a collision. They save lives in a similar, but less effective, manner as seatbelts. Riding a motorcycle is stupid to begin with, but if someone wants to lower the survivability even more by not wearing a helmet--more power to them. It has a chlorinating effect on the gene pool.

Pitman wears a helmet and doesn't even own a motorcycle.

Helmet laws and seatbelt laws are just examples of the nanny fukking govt we have now. We don't need laws protecting us from our own stupidity IMO. If you wanna ride without a helmet and smear your fucking brains on the highway or become a hood ornament when you crash, it's your own fucking business.

im florida a polametto bug will take your eye out !!!!!

Originally Posted by GearsMcGilf

Pitman wears a helmet and doesn't even own a motorcycle.

Helmet laws and seatbelt laws are just examples of the nanny fukking govt we have now. We don't need laws protecting us from our own stupidity IMO. If you wanna ride without a helmet and smear your fucking brains on the highway or become a hood ornament when you crash, it's your own fucking business.

give me back my huge jockstrap you fuck....

My father rode for years and had a very bad accident in which he almost died. He hit the car in front of him, sailed off the bike (Ninja 900 that he'd modified on include using airplane fuel) over the two cars in front of him, and was run over by both those cars. What saved his life? The ridiculously thick down vest he had on. He did have on a full face helmet. Did it play a part in saving his life? Possibly, it was pretty banged up.

My husband rode for years. He was in a few minor accidents, one with me on the back. He is currently in the Coast Guard and can name on the fingers of more than one hand fellow Coasties he knew and worked with who have been killed on bikes. It got so bad that the Coast Guard now requires members to complete a driving course, wear prescribed safety gear (leathers), a helmet of course, and a reflective vest.

I said yes to mandatory helmet laws, but I want that to include full-body leathers as well. You have the freedom to risk your life. Sure, I understand the wind in your hair feeling, I like a nice adrenaline rush myself. But you don't bungee jump without the right gear, do you? Or snowboard? Or skydive? There is someone out there who will be negatively affected by your death, whether it be the taxpayer for scraping your sorry ass off the pavement or a loved one who didn't have to lose you for your own thrills. It's selfish.

And what about the car drivers who don't see bikes? I'm aware of them because of my family's history with them but they're hard to see at night and some assholes just use crotch rockets as an excuse to weave in and out of traffic inadvertently, generally at 90 mph. How do you think some mother and her small child are going to feel when mom has to look back for a second because of something the kid's doing and a biker chooses that moment to weave, and then there's blood all over the street? Like I said, selfish.

no joke, I had one of those smack me in the forehead last year in FL and almost took me off my bike. Those things are scary!

I don't agree (obviously) that riding is "stupid" but I do agree that it is risky. Being involved in a dangerous hobby is only subjectively stupid. People that have never rock climbed would probably say that it is stupid, the same can be said of skydiving, bunjee jumping, bicycle riding, distance running, swimming, etc etc ad nauseum. One of the most facinating aspects of this is that is has been shown that 83% of polled NON RIDERS agree with helmet laws, while the actual riders are split in the middle.

Would wearing a helmet cut down on the amount of deaths that joggers suffer each year from being hit by cars? Probably. Should we now require joggers to wear helmets? Does this mean that joggers are "stupid"?

Paternal laws like this are ridiculous. I think we should immediately outlaw McDonalds. As heart disease is the #1 killer in America, it is our duty to protect people from themselves. I mean...comon.

Keju said it the best, I think people should mind their own business.

My father jogged for years and was struck by a car and he almost died. The car behind him struck him in the pedestrian crossing after running a red light. What saved his life? The ridiculously thick down vest he had on. He did have on a heavy duty wool cap. Did it play a part in saving his life? Possibly, it was pretty banged up.

My husband jogged for years. He was in a few minor accidents, one with me jogging with him. He is currently in the Coast Guard and can name on the fingers of more than one hand fellow Coasties he knew and worked with who have been killed while jogging. It got so bad that the Coast Guard now requires members to wear prescribed safety gear (reflective vests), and a helmet.

I said yes to mandatory helmet laws for joggers, but I want that to include full-body leathers as well. You have the freedom to risk your life. Sure, I understand the wind in your hair feeling, I like a nice adrenaline rush myself. But you don't bungee jump without the right gear, do you? Or snowboard? Or skydive? There is someone out there who will be negatively affected by your death, whether it be the taxpayer for scraping your sorry ass off the pavement or a loved one who didn't have to lose you for your own thrills. It's selfish.

And what about the car drivers who don't see joggers? I'm aware of them because of my family's history with them but they're hard to see at night and some assholes just run all over the place without looking where they are going. How do you think some mother and her small child are going to feel when mom has to look back for a second because of something the kid's doing and a jogger chooses that moment to weave, and then there's blood all over the street? Like I said, selfish.

I am not mocking you by writing this, and I appreciate you sharing your families story. I am simply pointing out the flaw in this type of thinking. you could replace "jogger" with almost any subjectively risky hobby and have the same argument. Where do you draw the line? Where do we stop trying to save people, and start giving them personal responsibility.

Just food for thought.

Originally Posted by KelJu

You forgot the option for:
"No, people should mind their own fucking business."
I have yet to see anything that says I helmet is worth the trouble. I rode motorcycles for most of my life, and I refused to wear a gay ass fucking helmet. The only exception is street bikes, and that is only because you can't see into the wind without protection, and a motor cycle helmet look cooler than a pair of goggles.

If you aren't going to make people wear full out Kevlar body armor, then shut the fuck up. If you aren't going to make fat fucks diet, shut the fuck up. If you aren't going to ban alcohol, shut the fuck up. If you aren't going to outlaw tobacco, shut the fuck up!

There are a million ways to die, and there are million times more dangerous shit being done everyday. Picking on bikers is fucking absurd.

well said

Originally Posted by The Situation

well said

Originally Posted by The Situation

it will free up some of that goverment(free) health care for everyone

In 2000 (the only year I could find info for), approximately 1.55 percent of total U.S. health care costs are attributable to all motor vehicle crashes. Thats allmotor hehicle crashes. I don't think we would be freeing up much

Also in reference to my earlier posts. 20% of all motorcycle injuries involve head injuries, while almost 90% of injured in car accidents involve head injuries. Does that mean that people in cars should start wearing helmets? I mean, it would stand to reason that more lives would be saved.

No? Guess why you feel that way. Because it directly impacts you as a car driver, and you don't want to be regulated in that way. You are adults, who feel that they can make their own decisions about whether to wear a helmet or not. Would it be safer to wear one? Sure, why not, and there certainly shouldn't be any laws AGAINST wearing one. But it should be voluntary.

Bikers have no problems with helmets, or the people who wear them. They have a problem with having the choice taken away.

going to ventura from vegas two things were really cool

1) actually being able to say you rode thru death valley on a bike and qualify to wear one of the little black frying pan pins and

2) crossing over into california and being able to take our fucking helmets off.


it's born to be wild not born to be a safe little pussy.

I was only mildly hot for you in sort of a school-boy infatuation kind of way until now.

I full on have a crush on you now.

If my girlfriend and I ever split, interested in a reasonably attractive reasonably wealthy guy that rides? If not, I will still love you, but only in that sort-of creepy stalkerish kind of way that you get on internet forums.

I hate helmets, you can't see for shit....they probably cause more accidents....

Luckily Hawaii has no helmet law....

Originally Posted by jmorrison

I am not mocking you by writing this, and I appreciate you sharing your families story. I am simply pointing out the flaw in this type of thinking. you could replace "jogger" with almost any subjectively risky hobby and have the same argument. Where do you draw the line? Where do we stop trying to save people, and start giving them personal responsibility.

Just food for thought.

You don't jog at highway speeds. Also, what about the situation where the driver of the car that hits the motorcyclist and the driver is completely at fault? That has nothing to do with the motorcyclist taking responsibility.

I was hit by a car while riding my bike (bicycle). It's scary as hell. Luckily I didn't hit my head but I could have meant the difference between walking away and being a vegetable for the rest of my life. I'm also for mandatory bicycle helmet laws.

Lets repeal the seatbelt laws while were at it. They're too restrictive anyway.

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

Lets repeal the seatbelt laws while were at it. They're too restrictive anyway.

True story: some guy decided to be an advocate of getting seatbelt laws repealed. The problem? He was in an accident and was ejected from his car, causing his death.

Ah, here's the snopes article on it.

Originally Posted by MtnBikerChk

You don't jog at highway speeds. Also, what about the situation where the driver of the car that hits the motorcyclist and the driver is completely at fault? That has nothing to do with the motorcyclist taking responsibility.

And this is why I called riding a motorcycle stupid. It's not because of the driver or the motorcycle, it's because of the situation. You can be Evel Knievel, and all it takes is one inattentive driver to ruin your day.

say what you want about mortality rates ( some studies do show benefit ) but there is no question that cost of medical care for motorcyclists in accidents without helmets are exorbitantly more than a helmeted rider

Motorcycle helmet use and injury outcome and hospitalization costs from crashes in Washington State.
this is just one such research article


When I was a paramedic in New York I never pulled out a dead person wearing seatbelts, I arrived on scenes all the time where a non seat belted person was thrown through the windshield and impaled on tree limbs or other sharp objects all the time,
Most of my DOA pronouncements were with non helmetted bikers. Also, non helmeted motor cyclists comprised the majority of facial reconstruction surgeries when I was doing my month of ENT/plastics rotation. It's amazing how asphalt can rip off your lower jaw and half your face so nicely when you are going 45 mph....

Originally Posted by jmorrison

I was only mildly hot for you in sort of a school-boy infatuation kind of way until now.

I full on have a crush on you now.

If my girlfriend and I ever split, interested in a reasonably attractive reasonably wealthy guy that rides? If not, I will still love you, but only in that sort-of creepy stalkerish kind of way that you get on internet forums.

next time im allowed im going to rep this guy

Originally Posted by jmorrison

I was only mildly hot for you in sort of a school-boy infatuation kind of way until now.

I full on have a crush on you now.

If my girlfriend and I ever split, interested in a reasonably attractive reasonably wealthy guy that rides? If not, I will still love you, but only in that sort-of creepy stalkerish kind of way that you get on internet forums.

lol. the restrictions on a persons right to make choices for themselves is ridiculous. you can't ride a bike without a helmet but feel free to rock climb without a rope, train big cats to jump through hoops of fire, bungee jump, sky dive, hunt bears and swim with sharks.

Originally Posted by Little Wing

lol. the restrictions on a persons right to make choices for themselves is ridiculous. you can't ride a bike without a helmet but feel free to rock climb without a rope, train big cats to jump through hoops of fire, bungee jump, sky dive, hunt bears and swim with sharks.

is this an appropriate use of that smiley?

Originally Posted by bio-chem

is this an appropriate use of that smiley?

if you consider the people who say yea "let's make a helmet law but it's ok to go spelunking or smoke a pack of camels a day" a bunch of jerk offs, then yea.


spelunking
If you ask people who actually go caving, spelunking is the derogatory term for stupid or unprepared cave trips. Origin: "spelunk" is the sound a clumsy caver makes when he slips and falls in a cave and lands in water.